


P&TP

by orphan_account



Category: flo gang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:27:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 136,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22589152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: YALL BETTER BE GRATEFUL AF CUZ THIS TOOK ME LIKE 30 FUCKIN MINUTES





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Tales of the Queen

"May I have a story, Mother?" The young princess asked softly, peering up at her fair-skinned mother through wide, emerald eyes. Snow White gazed lovingly at her perfect child. Emma was her pride and joy with her spirited, adventurous soul so like her father, Charming's, and her eager heart so full of love and light, much like Snow's own heart. The blonde princess was every bit a perfect blend of her mother and father, and even as a toddler, so well-mannered and matured far beyond her years. The kingdom's beloved princess charmed all she met from her own smitten parents to the royal guard to the royal servants to every faithful and loyal subject in the land. She was truly a precious gem.

"Of course, my love," Snow replied sweetly as she stroked a gentle hand through her daughter's golden princess curls fanned out across the pillows of her small bed, custom-made and sized especially for the young girl. "What would you like to hear tonight?"

The blonde child scrunched her nose adorably and chewed her bottom lip as she mentally mulled over the endless options of possible bed-time tales. As much as she loved learning new stories when her mother or father presented them, when given the choice, she almost always chose from those she'd already heard; therefore, she settled on one of her favorite subjects, a subject her mother strangely always seemed both pained as well as passionate about, which is why said subject had easily become a favorite of the child's.

"Tell me a tale of the Evil Queen!" Emma squeaked excitedly from beneath the covers as her mother continued to stroke her hair soothingly. Snow's expression contorted in discomfort very briefly before settling into a small, accepting smile. Emma almost always chose the topic of the infamous Evil Queen for her bedtime stories, and though it pained Snow to speak of her former step-mother's misdeeds, she also suspected that Emma loved these stories specifically because of how close Snow was to them. Many of Snow's stories about the Evil Queen included herself, and as trying as telling such stories could be, she loved the way Emma's eyes always lit up upon hearing them. There was no denying a shining look such as that. So, she simply nodded and began a familiar tale, allowing the memories to wash over her and take her back to a time that now seemed like a lifetime ago, closing her eyes as she recalled the image of herself as a young child, calling for help from the back of a spooked and stampeding horse.

"And then she saved you, right Mother? The Evil Queen saved you from the wild horse!" Emma jumped into the story, providing the next phase of the tale excitedly. This had always been one of her favorite stories, the story of how the young Regina had saved her mother's life so many years ago.

"Yes, love. She saved me, but that was before she became the Evil Queen, Emma. Then, she was simply Regina, a lovely young woman full of love and light and hope," Snow answered her, sighing as a pang for the woman her former step-mother had once been rippled through her heart. She shook her head to chase away the memories and went back to stroking her child's beautiful golden locks. She knew Emma would wish to talk more before finally succumbing to sleep, so she mentally prepared herself for the storm of comments and questions from her curious daughter that began nearly as soon as her own words had left her mouth.

"She was not always evil," Emma said quietly, more speaking to herself than her mother, "because evil is not born, it is made, right Mother?" The princess peered up at her mother with wide, hopeful eyes. Snow smiled sweetly at that. Much like her, Emma always hoped that Regina was good and that perhaps one day, she could be good again.

"That is right, darling. It is our choices that make us who we are, and sadly, Regina made many terrible choices, but no, my love, she was not always evil. She once was as good as you or I."

"I think I would have liked to meet her, Mother, when she was good."

"I think so, too, my darling. I think you would have loved her." Snow choked back a few tears at hearing the pure love in her daughter's voice as she spoke of the Regina that now only Snow White remembered so vividly. To everyone else, she was forever the Evil Queen, nothing more than a wicked title and a terrifying history. Emma, though, like her mother, was a true optimist—a believer in the good of people, no matter how lost they might become.

"As you loved her?" Emma whispered, her voice growing weak and raspy with exhaustion.

"Yes, Emma. I loved her very much," Snow whispered back to her daughter, finally allowing the tears dangling on her eyelids to fall silently down her cheeks, glistening brightly in the flickering glow cast from the fireplace just across from Emma's bed. Emma smiled and nodded, reaching up a tiny hand to swipe away her mother's tears. She had seen her mother cry many times while speaking of the Evil Queen and every time, the princess would simply wipe away her raven-haired mother's tears or hold her tender hand.

"I think she loved you, too, Mother. Even after she did evil things, I think she always loved you, too." Snow let out a ragged sob at that, smiling brightly through her tears, and leaning forward to press and sweet kiss to her beautiful child's forehead.

"Thank you, Emma," Snow whispered, always in awe of how mature and perceptive her young daughter could be. "Sleep now, darling." She pressed another quick kiss to Emma's forehead before standing and crossing to the door. Just as she was about to exit, she heard her daughter's quiet voice whisper to her from her pile of blankets.

"She cannot come here, can she, Mother? The Evil Queen?" Emma's voice trembled slightly, fear evident in her voice, but mostly it only echoed curiosity. Snow smiled as she leaned against the open door and shook her head.

"No, Emma. The Queen was captured long ago, and she can never escape. You are safe, love." With that, she blew her daughter a kiss and pulled her door closed behind her, crossing the hall quickly to enter her own bedchamber where her beloved, King James, laid waiting.

Emma lay awake only a moment longer, her last thoughts of the Evil Queen and where she might be, captured and held somewhere she could never escape. The young, blonde princess wondered if the Queen was lonely, if she was scared, if she could ever be good again like she once was.

What the princess didn't know, as her mother never told her, was that the fallen Queen, Regina, was a captive within their own castle, held within a specially crafted cell in the dungeon far below the Castle floor, beneath Emma's very feet, where she had remained for the last seven years.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The Forbidden Corridor

Young Emma, much like her father, James, had an insatiable appetite for adventure. Her eager and curious mind made itself known in every aspect of her days. From her constant questions and commentary during lessons to her daily excursions around the castle grounds (accompanied by her father, of course) atop the back of her beloved pony, Laertes, to her many ventures within the castle walls, having discovered and mastered the many secret passageways throughout her home, Emma was always alert and always on the move. Her curiosity had gotten her in trouble with her parents many times, having stirred panic in the monarchs on one too many occasions after disappearing through some secret tunnel and showing up late to dinner or tea. She was also known for her visits to the kitchens to speak with the servants, all of whom utterly adored her, though she had formed a bad habit of never telling her mother and father where she was disappearing to. She was certainly no stranger to trouble, young Emma.

However, one rule that the princess had never broken was that of entering the forbidden corridor. The forbidden corridor was the stretch of hall in the East Wing of the castle that led to a painfully long stairwell down to the castle dungeons. Her mother had cautioned her many times that she must never enter the forbidden corridor. She must stay far away from the dungeons as they housed many criminals and evil creatures alike. It was a dangerous place for a child, especially with the evil witch that resided there. Snow White had told Emma that long ago, they had captured an evil enchantress, and that she was kept in the dungeons in a special cell that could protect the lands from her dark magic. Emma was never to venture down to the dungeons for fear that the evil witch might find some way to bring harm to the precious princess. Emma had always been curious about the witch, though she was also equally fearful of the woman she had never seen. No, she had never ventured into the forbidden corridor. Until today.

The little girl poked her head around the corner as she stepped cautiously into the East Wing, searching for the position of the two guards she knew stood constant vigil by the entrance to the forbidden corridor. One of her lessons that morning had been about witches, and it had only rekindled her curiosity about the long-forgotten evil witch her mother had warned her of for as long as she could remember, and though she still held great fear in her heart of the mysterious woman being held captive, she also felt a burning intrigue that demanded she learn more. Thus, she snuck her way through the castle, utilizing the many secret passageways that had become her own personal means of travel throughout her home, and found her way to the East Wing.

There was only one guard standing watch by the entrance to the forbidden corridor today. The other must be taking leave for lunch, she guessed, as she pondered a way to distract the lone guard long enough to slip past him and into the corridor. She glanced around and noticed an old shelf lined with trinkets and dust-covered books within a small room just off to her right. Emma quickly ducked into the room and retrieved an old unlit candle from the shelf. She stepped back into the shadows of the passageway, glancing to the guard once more to make sure he hadn't seen her, before rearing back and tossing the candle as hard and fast as she could in the opposite direction. She heard the distant thud and clatter made by the candle as it most likely collided with one of the many metal war hammers or spears latched decoratively to the walls. She waited breathlessly to see if her distraction had worked, and sure enough, only seconds later, the lone guard strode quickly past her to investigate the cause of the sound.

Emma quickly made her move, pulling up the fluffy skirt of her dress and scurrying silently around the corner and over to the entrance of the forbidden corridor. She spared only a final glance behind her to the safety of the rest of the castle, and with one deep, steadying breath, slipped through the entrance, pulling the door quietly closed behind her.

The forbidden corridor was dark and eerily silent, lit only by the very faint flicker of slow-burning torches that decorated the stony walls few and far between. The small, curled hairs on the back of her neck stood, prickling and tickling her skin as an uneasy feeling settled in her small gut. Still, she pressed on. She was determined now that she had made it this far to see this adventure through to completion. At the end of the corridor, she stared down the long winding stairwell, wondering just how far below ground they would take her. She hesitated briefly before taking another deep breath and diving into the dark and daring descent.

By the time Emma reached the bottom of the stone stairs, she felt as if she had been walking for hours, and honestly, she had no idea of how long she actually had been. Surely it had not been as long as it seemed, or at least she hoped as much, as she knew her mother would be in fits of panic were she to have gone missing long enough to be noticed, especially if she returned late again to dinner. These thoughts inspired the young princess to hurry along, her hope of glimpsing the mysterious evil witch supposedly trapped within the dungeon only blossoming further as she made her way hurriedly, though cautiously, through the dank and darkened dungeon.

A variety of cells lined the corridors of the dungeon, barely lit by torches posted just outside their iron bars. Many of the cells, carved jaggedly into the stone walls, were empty, though several contained people and creatures alike. Thankfully, most of them seemed to be sleeping or distractedly murmuring to themselves in a shadowed corner at the back of their cells; however, a few did rush forward to whisper or jeer at her, which made her nearly jump from her own skin, only pushing her to hurry along, running as far from their rotten smells and ragged voices as she could get.

One particular prisoner, though, did manage to capture her attention as she neared an end to the passage, which then veered sharply to the right. He stood at the bars of the last cell in the passage, peering out at blonde child, his features painted with surprise and intrigue. He was a tall man, and Emma was surprise to note that he did not seem cruel or particularly frightening at all, except for the gleaming hook attached to one of his arms where a hand should have been. His tousled brown hair rippled a bit in the cool draft blowing through the dungeon as he leaned against the bars to speak to the girl.

"This is no place for a young lass like yourself to be, love," he said, his voice shockingly soft and kind. He wore a dirty and ragged white peasant shirt beneath a loosened brown leather vest. His brown leather pants were just as dirty, as were his extremely worn and weathered knee-high brown boots. He didn't seem like a criminal at all. In fact, Emma thought the man seemed quite charming and wondered what he had done to offend the royal family enough to land him in this dungeon as a prisoner.

Emma, despite feeling as if she should simply ignore him as she had the others, stopped and turned to face him, eyeing him cautiously. "I wanted to see the dungeons, sir," she replied to him, speaking as softly and sweetly to the man as he had to her.

"Ah, yes, and how do they suit you, lass?"

"It is quite displeasing here," Emma answered, and a slow smile spread across the man's handsome features as he chuckled lightly at the child's reply.

"Yes, well, only the best for the worst of us, love," he replied sarcastically, though the smile never left his face.

"What is your name, sir?" Emma asked, her curiosity peaking once more as she continued to study the seemingly kind man, her gaze repeatedly shifting back down to the hook he wore as a hand. Something tugged at the back of her mind, as if she should know this man, and yet she could not place him.

"The name is Killian Jones, love," the man stated as he dropped into a courteous bow before the young princess, "though many know me only as Hook, Captain Hook."

A look of surprise painted the blonde's features as the name jolted her memory, taking her back to the many stories she had read of the infamous Captain Hook. "Oh, the pirate?!" she exclaimed, excitement evident in her tiny voice.

"Ah, you've heard of me, have you?" Hook asked, his smile growing wider at the mention of his obvious notoriety.

"Yes, sir. I have read of you in my story books. There are many tales of your misdeeds."

"Yes, I suppose I have been quite naughty, haven't I?" Hook laughed out upon hearing the child's words and noting the look of shock and disgust, and perhaps even a slight hint of fear, upon her young features.

"You are a pirate, and my mother says all pirates are ruthless and cruel," Emma stated matter-of-factly.

"Is that so, love? And who might your mother be?" Hook asked, genuinely curious about the parentage of the young lass who had somehow managed to find her way into the castle dungeons, though he had an inkling already of who she might be.

"The Queen, sir, Snow White." Hook's eyes glittered with fascination and mischief at having his suspicions confirmed. The Queen's daughter, digging around in the dungeons. How scandalous. If only he hadn't been contained by the thick iron of his prison, he certainly would not be above using the young girl as a bargaining chip to gain his freedom. Such a wasted opportunity.

"Ah, a princess? Now, what would the princess be doing in her mother's dungeons?" Hook asked innocently.

Emma eyed the man, having noticed the glint of mischief surface in his gaze. It was enough to make her wary of the pirate, wary enough to avoid further discussion with the man, no matter how kind he may have seemed. Her mother had warned her of the nefarious ways of pirates many times, and she now realized that perhaps, given the look in this man's eyes, her mother had been absolutely right. So, the blonde mustered up all the regality she could, standing as tall as possible in her small body, and lifted her chin high in the air.

"That is none of your concern, sir. I must be going now," Emma said, causing the pirate to chuckle heartily at her show of authority. He nodded, though as she made her way past his cell to the right-facing bend in the path, he called out to her once more.

"You won't want to be going in that direction, Princess," Hook said, which earned him an inquisitive stare from the child. "That is the path that leads to the witch. She is a great evil, and a child, like yourself, would not do well to tangle with one such as she, lass."

Emma's heart began to race in her chest at the mention of the evil witch, the very woman she'd ventured into the dungeons to see. The pirate's words ignited a fear deep within her, though she simply turned from him, not wanting to show her own insecurity, and carried onward, a ripple of excitement gushing through her system to mingle with her fear. She was finally going to see the evil witch, and no one could stop her now, though she prayed to the Gods that whatever cell her parents had trapped the witch within would prove strong, sturdy, and true, protecting the princess from the evil within.

Emma walked along the long, empty corridor, which grew steadily darker as she carried on. She noticed the splashes that echoed with her footsteps as she made her way over the dirty and puddled stone floor toward the final cell of the dungeons, standing ominously just a short distance from where she now was. As she grew near enough to make out the shadows from within the cell, she could just barely see the faint, yet dark silhouette of a woman sitting atop a lone cot. Before she could draw further near, however, a deep, sultry voice echoed from within the darkened chamber.

"Curiosity is not a friend, dear. It is a dangerous foe."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: That Chin and Those Eyes

"Curiosity is not a friend, dear. It is a dangerous foe."

Emma gulped as the voice, though beautiful, sparked an even deeper fear within her. She took a step back, unsure of whether or not she should continue forward to better see the woman within the shadowed cell. Before she could contemplate her next move further, however, the woman spoke again.

"Step into the light, dear, so I may see your face," the witch said, her voice a silky, sweet purr. Emma hesitated only a moment before following the witch's command and taking several steps forward to bathe herself in the flickering glow of the torch nearest the witch's cell. She still could not make out the woman's features as the witch remained sitting in the shadows atop her cot, though Emma could certainly feel the woman's gaze upon her, boring into her. It was an unsettling feeling, and though the princess's instincts bid her to turn and run back to the safety of the castle above, she could not command her feet to move.

The witch studied the curious girl as the child stepped into the light. The young girl wore a petite, full-skirted emerald green dress that matched the piercing brightness of her forest eyes. Her golden locks fell in beautiful curls around her shoulders, framing her doll-like face, and her small hands hung, clasped tightly together, before her petite frame. She noted the child's features, recognition blazing through her mind. Her parentage was certainly obvious, at least to this witch.

The witch's thoughts stirred as she studied the girl. Has such time truly passed, she thought, that the infant I once sought to capture has grown so? Time had become such a lost concept in the dungeons, unable to see the rising and setting of the sun and moon. The princess, though, was visible proof that it had indeed been many years since the witch had last known freedom. She was a truly beautiful child, the witch noted, though what such a child was doing in such a despicable place was certainly an intriguing mystery, one that the witch fully intended on unraveling.

"Ah, the princess," the witch stated matter-of-factly, mirth decorating her voice. She was going to enjoy this. Snow White, the achingly, annoyingly sweet reigning queen, would be none too pleased to learn of her young princess's adventures to visit her greatest foe; or perhaps, the witch mused, she would refrain from divulging such information to the queen for now, carrying on as usual when Snow came for her weekly visit to ensure that her nemesis was still very much helpless and confined within her magical prison. Perhaps, she could find some way to use this visit to her advantage. Yes, that would do perfectly.

"How did you know I was a princess?" Emma asked, her voice squeaking in surprise, as she took another step forward, until she was close enough to just make out the witch's ragged prison robe, though not quite close enough to define the woman's facial features.

"That chin and those eyes; I would recognize such features anywhere, dear. You are most certainly the daughter of Snow White," the witch answered her, amused, though she failed to hide the sheer disgust and disdain with which she spat forth Snow's name.

"I am. My name is Emma," Emma replied, curious as to why this witch seemed to know her mother well enough to recognize her facial features in her own young face. "And you are the evil witch."

The witch laughed loudly at that. Of course that fool Snow White would reduce her to nothing more than an "evil witch," not even gracing her story with a name to tell the child. She was actually curious to hear more from the girl. Had her mother told her stories of the witch, and if she had, which stories had she chosen to disclose? Surely only those that would be sure to stir a deep fear within her daughter.

"Indeed," the witch replied, as her laughter died to a slight chuckle before she grew silent once more, waiting to see if the child would leave or carry on their conversation. She could see the curiosity brewing in her bright, young eyes, reflected beautifully in the torchlight. She did not have to wait long before the princess spoke again.

"I have never met a witch before," the princess told her. "Fairies, yes, and dwarves, and oh, my godmother is a werewolf, but I have never met a witch."

"Perhaps that is a blessing, dear," the witch replied. "As you stated, I am evil, after all."

The blonde child tilted her head as she stared curiously as the woman she wished she could better see. "Are you really?" Emma asked.

"Really what?"

"Evil."

"What would give you reason to doubt that I am?" the witch asked, sincerely intrigued by the girl's question. She hadn't been expecting as much. "Your mother has no doubt informed you that I am, in fact, evil. Why should you question otherwise?"

"My mother tells me many stories," the princess answered her, "of how evil is not born. It is made."

The witch scoffed. If only this child knew that her precious mother was a perfect example of such a wise lesson, indeed. That she, in fact, had been a driving force in "making" this very witch evil. Oh, the naivety of youth.

"And you believe this lesson?" the witch asked.

"I do," Emma said matter-of-factly. "My favorite story proves it to be true."

"Oh?" the witch perked up at this news, her own curiosity growing. "And what is your favorite story, dear?"

"That of the Evil Queen, of course!" Emma told her, her excitement evident upon mentioning the story she held most dear. "She was a lovely girl once, but many terrible things happened to her. It was her choices after this that made her evil, but she once was kind and good. So, perhaps you, too, were once good and simply made bad choices as she did."

The witch stiffened upon her cot as the mention of her own story echoed excitedly from the child's lips. She softened a bit at the girl's perspective, finding her surprisingly accurate ideas about her truly endearing and enlightening coming from such a young mind. How is it that she does not know who I am, then? the witch thought.

Is it truly possible that while Snow White had obviously told her daughter many stories of her, the "evil queen," that she had also deliberately failed to mention that the "evil witch" contained within their own dungeon and the "evil queen" were one in the very same? How clever of you, Snow. How clever, indeed.

"Perhaps," the witch conceded. "What fate, pray tell, befell the Evil Queen?" She was curious to know just how much the child had been told of her story.

"She was captured many years ago and contained somewhere where she could no longer harm the subjects of the land or seek revenge upon my mother, though I know not who captured her or where she is kept," Emma answered her honestly, still unable to put two and two together.

"It seems that she and I share similar fates," the witch spoke again, remaining still upon her cot, unsure of whether or not the young princess would recognize her were she to move into the light. Surely, the girl's mother had shown her portraits of her; or perhaps, she deliberately had not in order to keep Emma from ever discovering that the evil witch in the dungeons was, in fact, the evil queen, whose story her daughter so deeply loved, should she ever manage to venture far enough to find out. That would have been a wise choice, considering that the young princess had managed to do exactly that.

"May I see your face?" Emma asked, which shocked the witch as she had only just been thinking along those same lines.

"Are you sure that is what you desire?" the witch asked, hoping (though she was not entirely sure why) that the princess would not recognize her were she to move into the light.

"It is, please," Emma answered her, suddenly desperate to see the features that painted the face from which such a beautiful voice emanated.

"Very well, Princess," the witch whispered, and a slightly rustling sound followed by a creaking echoed through the stony passage as she stood from her cot and made her way slowly to the jagged bars that lined her prison cell. She stepped into the bit of light that flooded the front of her cell, and slowly dropped into a graceful squat so as to be eye-level with the child.

"Oh!" Emma gasped in surprise, and the witch frantically searched the girl's eyes for a hint of recognition. She found none, only sheer surprise and intrigue. "You are so lovely!"

Unbidden, a beautiful smile graced the witch's face in response to the princess's outburst. As much as she ached to despise the child of the one Snow White, she found the girl quite charming. Charming, she mused dryly to herself, go figure. 

Emma's gaze devoured every visible inch of the witch from her beautiful, silky brown hair (which, somehow seemed clean and vibrant despite having spent years within this cell) to her gorgeous chocolate eyes, full, supple lips, and exquisite angles and curves. She was quite the mesmerizing sight, and Emma could not stop staring. She had not expected the woman to be so breathtaking. One does not typically associate the title "evil witch" with a beautiful goddess like this woman so appeared to be.

"Thank you, dear," the witch said sweetly and sincerely, as she continued to smile at the blonde. "You are quite lovely as well," the brunette told her, and surprised herself to find that she truly meant it.

Emma endearingly dropped her gaze to the floor before peeking back up at the witch shyly and whispering her own thank-you. As she stood there staring at the witch, she wondered what evil the woman had done before she was captured, because to Emma, she did not seem evil at all. On the contrary, she seemed quite kind and lovely. Perhaps her mother had been wrong in labeling this woman as evil.

As the thought of her mother entered her mind, Emma suddenly jumped and gasped, panic coursing through her veins as she realized that she had been gone quite a long time now, distracted by the alluring brunette captive. Her mother would be in a total panic. She must get back as quickly as possible, though the thought of leaving the woman before her pained her for some reason. She felt an odd connection to the witch. Perhaps, though, she could sneak back down and visit her again.

"Are you alright, dear?" the witch asked.

"Yes!" Emma squeaked. "I have been gone a long while now, though. I must get back to the castle. Mother will be frantic and very upset with me."

"Yes, well, you should hurry along then, Princess." Emma nodded her agreement but lingered a short while longer, simply staring into the beautiful brown eyes before her. Eventually, though, she finally forced her feet to move as she quickly turned and headed back down the damp and dark passageway, but not before turning back quickly to see the witch still kneeling by the bars of her cell.

"May I visit you again?" Emma asked, unsure of whether or not she should request permission to visit a prisoner, since she could very well visit of her own accord seeing as how the witch was obviously not going anywhere.

"Would you like to?" the witch asked kindly, tilting her head curiously at the girl.

"I would, yes," the blonde told her, nodding her head vigorously.

"Very well then," the brunette sighed with a smile. "Off you go, now."

She was just as curious about the princess as the princess was curious about her. Perhaps, she could win the girl over and eventually use her as a bargaining chip to gain her freedom. Ideas began to flick madly through her head as she watched the bouncing blonde curls turn the bend at the end of the passageway and disappear entirely from view.

I wonder when she will return.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Opposing Queens

The reigning queen, Snow White, made her way swiftly through the dungeons, as per her weekly routine, to visit the cell of her former step-mother, the fallen queen, Regina. Truly, her visits were more her ways of reassuring herself that the witch was still tucked safely away within her magical prison, unable to wreak further havoc upon the realm, and more specifically, upon the now reigning queen. Despite the cell having held her nemesis perfectly well for a full seven years now, Snow still felt the need to reassure herself weekly that nothing had changed, for she knew the woman better than any. Her step-mother was cunning and inventive, and more powerful than any other she had ever come across, with the exception, perhaps, of Rumplestiltskin, the foul man. Therefore, she would not be foolish enough to ever harbor absolute confidence in her capture and imprisonment, knowing that it was entirely possible the witch might somehow manage to find a means of escape, regardless of how frequently Charming had assured her she was being overly cautious and deeply paranoid.

Snow kept the hood of her white cloak pulled tightly around her face, masking herself from the glaring stares of the prisoners she passed on her journey to the furthest chamber of all. She swept swiftly around the bend toward Regina's cell, stopping only a few short steps from the cell's jagged bars. Regina was nestled in the shadows as usual, though Snow knew the fallen queen was watching her closely.

"If it isn't the fairest of them all, come to pay visit to the Evil Queen," Regina drawled dryly from the darkened corner of her cell. Snow lowered her hood, her gaze locking onto Regina's even through the shadows.

"Regina," Snow acknowledged her, nodding curtly as she did so.

"To what do I owe this immense displeasure, Snow?" The fallen queen spat at the raven-haired woman whose life she had once saved. If only one could change the past, Regina mused. "As you can see, I am as I was previously, still very much a captive witch."

"You deserve to be here," Snow replied, her tone authoritative but with a hint of sadness. Regina had grown so tired of hearing that vastly annoying touch of pity that frequently tainted her nemesis's voice. Pity was something Regina absolutely abhorred, especially from those who once played a hand in the events that led to her warranting said pity to begin with.

"Oh, do spare me your sorely inspired lecture on the many ways in which 'good' always prevails, dear. I would rather you feed me one of my own apples and endure the sleeping curse. Then again, such drivel is equally as capable of inducing slumber, I am sure," Regina droned from her corner. Enduring Snow White's frequent visits along with her even more frequent tales of the high and mighty and the magic of true love was a far worse punishment than eternal imprisonment. How cruel fate had been to sentence her with both.

"Besides," the fallen queen continued, "should you not be off with your darling Charming, finding each other or whatever it is you do? Honestly, how often can two people require being found?"

Snow scoffed at Regina's attitude. She had begun to fear that the woman would never change, her hope dying slowly in her chest. After the many chances at redemption that she provided her stepmother, still the witch remained stubborn and fueled only by her need for vengeance, power, and absolute destruction.

"You will never learn, Regina," Snow said softly, sliding her hood back atop her shining raven hair, and turning to leave. The Evil Queen had truly become a lost cause, tainted by her own bitterness.

"Learning is for children," Regina called after her, and that is when an idea struck her brain, her lips quirking up into a wicked smirk. "Speaking of which, Snow, how is your darling bundle of joy? Emma, was it?"

Snow halted in her steps, her body going visibly rigid at the mention of her daughter by the woman who had once attempted to capture her when she had been only hours out of the womb. Regina almost cackled with glee at having the desired effect upon her captor. This was going to be fun.

"I imagine she looks much like her mother, yes? The perfect little princess—those same bright, green eyes and that same stubborn, dimpled chin, most likely cupped by an abundance of sickeningly sweet and heavy princess curls. Tell me, dear, is a she a miniature Snow White?" Regina could hardly contain her laughter at the pained and terrified shock that splattered Snow's features as her breath audibly hitched in her throat. This was too easy.

Snow panicked internally upon hearing the witch's words. Why was she asking about Emma? Seven years had gone by with Regina in this prison and not once had she ever mentioned the princess, so this sudden addition was highly alarming to the reigning queen. And how had Regina known of Emma's features? She supposed that anyone could guess as to how a child would resemble a parent, yet Regina's description had been so accurate. Emma had, in fact, inherited her mother's emerald eyes as well as her chin. Snow swallowed thickly, choking down the lump that had risen angrily in her throat. She locked eyes with Regina, pouring every ounce of threat she could possibly manage into the glare as she spoke her final words before leaving the dungeon.

"The princess is none of your concern, Regina, as she will remain." With that, Snow shot from the passageway, her stomping steps echoing in splashes throughout the entirety of the dungeon before finally dissipating into quiet reverberations once she had gone.

"We shall see about that, Snow," Regina mused to herself once the queen had disappeared from her sight. "We shall certainly see."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Tell Me Of The Evil Queen

A mere two moons passed before the young princess's intrigue finally devoured her patience once more, and she slipped from her soft bed while the brilliant moon hung suspended at its highest peak in the black-lit canopy overhead. Emma padded quietly from her bedchamber and into the open passageway, careful to stick to the shadows lining the walls as she darted to the tapestry that hid the entrance to one of her favorite secret passageways, beginning her long, evening trek to the East Wing of the castle.

Once in the East Wing, Emma used the same distraction as before to lure the guards from the entrance to the forbidden corridor. As the small book she'd thrown echoed a loud thud through the hall, she darted unseen past the two sprinting guards who had left their station to inspect the noise, and slipped quietly once more into the forbidden corridor. She took the stairs practically at a run, though once she found her way into the dungeon, she wished she had thought to don her robe. The draft sent frigid chills rippling across her porcelain skin that nearly set her teeth to chattering. She darted as quickly and quietly as possible past the many prison cells, surprised to note that not a single prisoner was awake. Loud snores and sighs filled the passageway, bouncing off the walls so that the dungeon itself sounded as one giant breathing beast. It slightly unnerved the girl, though she kept on, keen on seeing the evil witch once again.

Regina had always been a fitful and restless sleeper. Her memories served as vivid nightmares, never allowing her a single convalescing slumber; however, one positive aspect of her restless sleeping was that she was easily aroused and always keenly alert and aware of her surroundings, even while in slumber. That is how she heard the tiniest of splashes sound quietly from the dungeon corridor. The former queen cracked open a bleary eye and slightly lifted her head from the flat pillow of her cot to inspect the noise. She nearly gasped aloud at the sight before her, shocking her into perfect awareness. There, standing not a foot from her cell bars was the tiny, sleeping-gown-and-slippers- clad figure of one Princess Emma, her brilliant green eyes shining like a feline's in the darkness of the dungeon.

"Back so soon, Princess?" Regina teased calmly, masking the shock in her voice with ease. The child only nodded, her sleep-tousled tangle of golden curls bobbing dramatically around her face and shoulders. Regina softened at the sight of her, and slowly lifted herself from her cot to sidle over to the cell bars and drop down to the princess's level. As she drew nearer the girl, she noticed the way her tiny hands shook and the goose-pimpled flesh of her chilled arms as she shivered in the cool air of the dungeon. A sudden urge to protect the young blonde rose fiercely in the fallen queen, shocking the very air from Regina's lungs. She had certainly not expected to feel anything toward the child, let alone with such a resonating power.

"Emma," Regina whispered, her chocolate eyes searching the blonde's curious ones, "You should not be here. It is quite late and you will fall ill from the cold."

"I wanted to see you," Emma told her, shrugging as if that simple desire was explanation enough for her late-night excursion.

"Why?" Regina asked, curious, her head tilting to the side. Surely the child could not have desired her company to such a degree that she could not have waited until a more agreeable hour to visit the dungeons, and yet here she stands, evidence to the contrary.

"I do not know," the blonde answered honestly, wrinkling her brow and nose in a way that Regina found endearingly adorable, though she would never admit such a revelation aloud. Evil Queens do not find things or people "adorable," nor would they ever condone the use of such descriptive words. That would be one sure way to ruin an image. "I simply wanted to. I feel as though I know you somehow."

"What do you mean?" the brunette asked, impressed at how mature the child frequently managed to sound and act. Emma stepped even closer to the bars, so that she and Regina were as close as physically possible with only the bars as a barrier between them. Emma snared Regina in her gaze, staring deeply into her eyes as she continued her explanation.

"It is your eyes, I think," Emma answered her. "When I look at you, I feel a tug in my chest." She rubbed her chest to indicate the space just over her small heart. "It is as if a part of me recognizes a part of you, though we are only just meeting. I do not understand it. Do you feel it as well?"

Regina swallowed audibly, unsure of how to answer the child. She had admitted to herself upon first meeting the child that something seemed special about her; despite Regina's disdain for the girl's mother, she felt inexplicably drawn to the princess. It was a stunning revelation to learn that a mere child such as Emma had felt the overwhelming sensation as well, and not only felt it, but had obviously simply accepted the feeling, choosing, even, to indulge in it despite knowing that this woman was an "evil" witch.

Despite her extensive knowledge of magic, the brunette witch could think of no plausible or logical cause that would warrant a connection to the child. Could it be possible that the girl somehow remembers the few stolen moments from her infancy in which Regina had lifted her newborn body from her crib and held her close, intent on taking her, just before the fairies, led by that wretched Blue, had somehow managed to take her by surprise, freezing her in place, thereby ensuring her capture? It had only lasted a short few moments, and yet Regina had always remembered those moments vividly, the way Emma's tiny, chubby fist curled tightly around her index finger as her brilliant green orbs locked onto Regina's brown ones. In that moment, the brunette had felt a true connection to the baby, though she had never had the chance to analyze it before she was ambushed and captured, her plan of taking the infant and casting the Dark Curse thwarted before it even began. Was it possible that Emma somehow remembered that moment, too? Surely not. She had been a mere two hours old at the time.

Regina's brain screamed for her to lie to the child. Her thoughts cautioned her, Keep your distance! She would need to remain objective if she was to eventually use the child for her own gain. Despite her mind's own heavy foreboding, though, the brunette choked out two small, but entirely truthful, words. "I do."

The young princess's face lit up so beautifully upon hearing the witch's confession that Regina could not help but echo the child's smile with one of her own. They simply huddled close to the bars a moment longer, staring at one another, before Emma spoke again.

"Are you going to order me to leave?" Emma asked the fallen queen, who shook her head gently in response.

"No, dear, I cannot order you to leave. I cannot order you to do anything. You are a royal, Emma. You have command over me, not the reverse," Regina admitted quietly, surprised to hear not a hint of disdain decorating such an admission. She found she simply could not be hateful or angry or even disinterested toward the girl. She was captivated by the kind and willful spirit of the princess, and she found she quite enjoyed her company.

Excellent, Regina thought. You know you have been held in captivity for entirely too long when you would rather have the company of a toddler than of an adult. Gods help me. 

"Well, then, I would very much like to stay," Emma told her, that beautiful smile still brightening her lovely young features.

"Then you shall stay," Regina said with a short nod. "However, I must insist you cover up, dear. Your teeth are chattering from the cold." Regina had only just noticed the sound of the chatter, which she quickly traced back to the tiny mouth a mere foot from her face. She stood and sauntered back over to her cot, pulling a thick, wooly blanket from its surface and carrying it along with a rickety chair back to where Emma was waiting. She positioned the chair in front of the bars so that she would not have to crouch uncomfortably any longer, and she pushed the woolen blanket through the bars of her cell toward the young blonde. Emma eyed the blanket warily before glancing back to Regina. The brunette had to commend the girl for being wisely cautious; however, she truthfully meant her no harm.

"It is but a blanket, Emma. I do not wish to harm you, nor will I," the witch whispered, capturing the princess's gaze in an effort to convey her sincerity. Seemingly satisfied with that, the girl took the blanket and plopped heavily to the stone ground, sitting atop part of the blanket while wrapping the rest of its warmth tightly around her body. She sighed contentedly as the feeling rushed back into her frozen limbs and smiled up at the witch.

"Thank you," she said sweetly.

"You are quite welcome, dear." Regina told her, and then a previous curiosity surged to the forefront of her mind once more as she pondered the maturity of the girl before her. "May I ask your age, Princess?"

"I am seven years and eight months." Regina was stunned by this fact, noting that the child clearly had an old soul given her quaint way with words and surprisingly mature manner of conducting herself. "And you?" The brunette laughed aloud at Emma's words as she had not expected the girl to counter her question and ask for her age, and yet, a part of her echoes that she should have seen that coming.

Regina sighed and shook her head, smiling softly at the child. "Well, if you are nearly eight years, then I am thirty and four years now."

"And you have no husband?" Emma asked, eager to learn more of the witch.

"I do not," Regina replied simply.

"A wife?" Regina was thoroughly surprised by this question, though pleasantly so. The laws of their land made special accommodations for unions bound by the magic of True Love, and such magic existed beyond all circumstances and restrictions, including that of gender. It was rare, though, to hear a princess speak freely of such things, as most royals were intent on their princes finding mates in fair princesses and their princesses finding their own prince charmings. As such, Regina again mentally applauded the child for her maturity, smiling as she shook her head once more and answered.

"No wife." If possible, Emma smiled even more brightly at this news.

"What is that beautiful smile for?" Regina asked sweetly as she studied the young girl's expression.

"I am pleased to know you are not bound in marriage," Emma explained, still smiling as she did so.

"Oh?" Regina asked, curious as to why this fact would please the princess. "Why is that?"

"Because I do not wish to share you," she whispered, her eyes glittering sweetly with her confession. The fallen queen was taken aback at such an admission, though, she simply chuckled heartily at the words, allowing the loving warmth of the girl's smile and obvious affection for the witch she'd only just met to fill her with a joy and tenderness she had not felt in many, many years.

"Well, seeing as how I am trapped here, I believe you have no need to worry about that, dear." Emma simply grinned with her joy, the two of them falling into a comfortable silence in the dark. After a while, Regina finally broke the silence.

"Are you not tired or weary, Emma? It is very late."

"I am quite awake now," Emma told her, her eyes sparkling in the faint glow of the torchlight. "Are you not tired?" she countered to the witch. "You did not seem to be slumbering when I arrived despite the moon having been at its highest."

"I do not sleep well," Regina admitted to the blonde, thinking of the nightmares that too often plagued her dreams.

"Perhaps, a story would help?" Emma asked, her eyes wide and hopeful, excited at the possibility of sharing one of her favorite bed-time tales with the witch.

"Perhaps," the brunette agreed with a smirk. "Would you like to tell me one?"

"Very much," Emma exclaimed. "There are so many to choose from, though. What would you have me recite?"

"Very well," Regina said, agreeing to the story. She pretended to mull over the options in her head before speaking the desire that had entered her brain at the princess's first mention of a story. She leaned forward, smiling sweetly at the child before whispering,

"Tell me of the Evil Queen."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: The Worries of Snow

King James slipped quietly onto the private balcony of the royal bedchamber, sidling up behind his unsuspecting wife as she leaned into the railing, staring wordlessly across the vast expanse of their breathtaking and beloved kingdom. Many late evenings and early mornings, the King had woken to find his raven-haired beauty perched here, lost endlessly in thought, her fair and flawless face furrowed in worries of which she had yet to voice. He suddenly slipped his muscled arms around the Queen's waist, pulling her sweetly into his embrace so that her back nestled softly against his chest and abdomen. Snow White let out a soft gasp at the surprising touch before letting out a heavy sigh and sinking further into the comforting embrace, tilting her head back to rest against her true love's strong shoulder.

"What troubles you, my love?" James questioned quietly. Snow sighed heavily again. Her charming husband knew her so well, ever mindful of her moods and emotions.

"I worry for Emma," Snow whispered, her brow furrowing ever further, marring her graceful features.

"What worries you of our daughter, Snow?" James pushed her further for answers. "She is as perfect as a princess can be."

Snow smiled sweetly at her husband's adoration of and affection for their beloved daughter. The King and Queen were both beyond smitten with their bright, young girl, yet James had always been purely wrapped around Emma's tiny finger, unable to deny her any wish or desire, and perfectly content to indulge her growing mind and eager, adventurous soul at every turn. In many ways, their daughter was a perfect embodiment of her father—brave, curious, determined, and an impressively skilled and quick study in nearly everything she attempted, despite her immense youth. It was an aspect of Emma's dynamic personality that Snow had always adored, seeing her wonderful Charming shine brightly through her little girl's luminous spirit.

"She is, indeed," Snow agreed with her husband. "I am troubled by her interests, James. As of late, she speaks more and more frequently of the Evil Queen."

"She has always been enamored with Regina's history. You know as much, Snow. The Queen was a grand and terrifying fixture of your own past, of both of ours, darling. It is only natural that Emma should be curious of such tales."

"Yes, I agree, James, but her interest has grown significantly. She only ever requests tales of the Queen anymore, and these two moons past, she…" Snow trails off, a sickening lump suddenly sticking painfully in her throat.

"What is it?" James prompted, tightening his hold around his wife as he sensed her growing discomfort.

"These two moons past, she has requested stories of the Evil Witch. As you know, we have never disclosed with Emma that the witch we harbor in the castle dungeons is the very Evil Queen she has grown so enamored with," Snow told her husband, swallowing the lump like a ten-ton stone weighing heavily in the pit of her stomach.

James furrowed his brow upon hearing this news, though it had yet to trouble him as deeply as it had his wife. Emma had always been a curious mind, and James had grown quite accustomed to her endless inquisitions about any and every thing she could get her hands on. Perhaps, they had given her far too much free reign of the castle library. The only books made explicitly forbidden to their daughter had been those upon the highest shelves of the library, those which read of their land's darkest magic and most fearsome and vile creatures. The monarchs kept such books in the event that they might ever need such knowledge to prepare for or combat great evils should they threaten the people of their Kingdom. However, they had agreed that such content was far too advanced and much too dark for Emma's young eyes. The remaining books of the library, however, and said books were seemingly unlimited, were freely open to their daughter, and she indulged as often as possible, soaking up as much information on as many topics as she could get her tiny hands on.

"Snow, Emma is a curious child."

"Yes, but James, Emma must never know that the Evil Witch of the dungeons is Regina. If ever she were to discover this truth, she would become determined to see the woman. You know how well she loves the stories of my step-mother," Snow cautioned, fear evident in her voice.

"I agree, love. Perhaps, though, she is merely intrigued. She did mention to me on our rides recently that she had been learning of witches in her lessons as of late. It is merely a result of such impetus."

"Perhaps you are right, my love, and I am simply worrying myself over naught more than a child's love of enthralling bed tales," Snow agreed quietly, tilting her head back to nuzzle her nose against the scruff of her King's chin. James planted a shallow kiss atop his wife's dainty nose and further reassured her before leading her back into their chambers.

"Do not worry yourself on this, Snow. Emma is safe, and she is simply broadening her mind. Allow her this indulgence for now, darling. It is important that she learn as much of our history as possible. We should be proud of our scholarly child. She is quite the sight, and not without the mind to match such beauty." James smiled brightly as he said these words, and his crooked, beautiful smile reminded Snow so much of their daughter's. It warmed her heart infinitely so as she followed her husband to bed, her worries soon melting away in the heat of her beloved's embrace.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Dreams of the Dark Queen

Several weeks had now passed since young Emma's first adventure into the dungeons in search of the infamous Evil Witch, and the princess had made it a point to visit the beautiful, brunette witch as often as possible since, only growing more and more enamored with her with every visit. The blonde child had been back to the dungeons nearly every night in the past month, with only a few exceptions when her mother's keen senses had focused too heavily upon her daughter's newfound exhaustion or overly eager requests for tales of the witch. Such requests had nearly surpassed those for her formerly favorite tales of the Evil Queen, which only made her mother more suspicious, so Emma vowed to be more cautious, asking frequently instead for tales of her godmother, the werewolf, Red, or of her mother's time spent with her uncles, the dwarves. It seemed to have assuaged her mother's worries, so Emma considered her efforts a success.

The princess had become increasingly good at slipping unseen into the forbidden corridor, finding new ways to distract the guards from their station just long enough to edge past them, and always returning at varying times so as not to alert the guards to any specific pattern of disturbances that they may grow suspicious of. She was a clever child, too clever for one so young. She had learned quickly that knocking items off the walls was a much more promising, and much less suspicious way of distracting the guards as they would merely assume the item had fallen and would go to retrieve it after inspecting the clatter. The trickiest part had always fallen to the task of getting back out of the forbidden corridor, for which she would have to cause a clatter from within, causing the guards to enter briefly to inspect the noise while she waited in the shadows, slipping quickly through the open door while the guards scoured the length of the corridor. Even after a month, they remained none the wiser. Schooled by a child.

Despite the many tales of the witch's evils, Emma could not bring herself to abandon the woman or to ever truly believe her to be evil as was claimed. There was something so pure and so kind in the depths of the witch's warm, chocolate gaze when she peered at Emma through the jagged iron bars of her prison. Emma had spent many nights staring into those deep, brown pools, falling further and further into their depths as she shared her many favored stories of the Evil Queen with the brunette as well as her own personal opinions and perspectives of the legendary woman that was Regina. Beyond that, she had shared much of herself with the witch, speaking often of her desire for adventure, for knowledge, and for love, and she had greatly enjoyed those rare nights when the lovely brunette would share her own truths and even, her dreams, with the child. For Emma, the brunette witch had become her truest and most beloved friend, despite being separated by the barrier of a magical prison intended to steal life and time from the broken woman within.

As Emma now made her way down the spiraling stairwell that led to the dungeons, she pondered, surprisingly for the first time, whether a time would ever come in which her new friend would be freed from her prison, a time in which she would not have to hide her love of the woman. It pained her heart to think that none had seen the good of the witch, that none believed she could or would ever change. They simply did not know the witch as Emma knew her, because Emma knew her no longer as a witch, but simply as a woman, as a beautiful, kind, and fascinating woman who, in Emma's mind, had suffered clearly just as much as she had caused suffering.

Regina's entire universe had come to revolve around the curious, blonde child who, unlike any in such a long time, actually desired the witch's company and stirred her long-since dead and silent heart to beating frantically once more. The princess was a heavenly reprieve from Regina's endless loneliness. It fascinated Regina to no end to find that despite the girl's intimate and detailed knowledge of the many, many vile and cruel acts she had committed, she never found a hint of judgment or disgust in the blonde's voice, nor had she ever seen even the slightest touch of apprehension or damnation in her emerald gaze. It was truly a wondrous and wonderful feeling, that of being freed even momentarily from the burden of her past and of her sins. In her times spent with Emma, Regina was no longer the Evil Queen or even the Evil Witch. She was simply a woman and perhaps even, a friend.

Regina had grown to adore the child so devoutly that she no longer even indulged ideas of using the girl to her advantage. She simply took refuge in the princess's loving and adoring gaze and endless supply of conversation. It surprised the witch to realize the depth of her depression when the jubilant, blonde child was absent, and the sheer joy that would ignite her every cell when wild, golden princess curls came bouncing into view just around the distant bend of the dungeons. Perhaps, Regina thought, this is what she had been missing for so long—someone simply willing to listen and to comfort with no need for explanation and no desire to judge. Emma had quickly become the greatest gift of all.

"Emma!" Regina exclaimed as the princess bounded suddenly around the bend, quickly coming into view as she raced toward the witch's cell. Her excitement to see the child was evident in her adoring gaze and brilliant smile as she quickly took her place in the short chair she kept positioned as closely to the bars as possible as better to see the girl during their visits. Emma waved excitedly as she laid out the blanket she had grown accustomed to packing along into the dungeon and taking a seat just in front of the iron bars.

Regina smiled warmly at the girl as she waited for her to settle in comfortably. "How were your lessons today, dear?" she asked kindly.

"Quite dull," Emma told her, which surprised the brunette as the princess almost always seemed rather fascinated with each of her lessons, absorbing the knowledge like an eager sponge.

"Oh? And why is that?" Regina prompted her.

"Today's lesson was over the history of the White Kingdom, my mother's Kingdom."

Regina quite agreed with the girl, knowing that such a lesson (despite the fact that the White Kingdom had once been hers) would bore even her to tears, endless tales of the flawless Snow White. Spare me,Regina thought, yet she indulged the conversation further, curious of Emma's reasoning, as one would think a child would be fascinated by the history of a Kingdom she would one day come to rule.

"And why would you not wish to learn of your Kingdom?" the brunette asked.

"I tire of repetition," the princess answered, which made Regina chuckle as the ever-obvious maturity of the child amused her more and more every time the girl spoke. "The history of our Kingdom is included in my lessons every year. I know the history so well I could recite it in great detail as not only must I hear of it in my lessons, but also from my own father and mother on countless occasions. It long ago lost its appeal."

"I suppose it would have, yes," Regina agreed, still chuckling slightly at the girl's exasperation.

"The history is only intriguing in its Dark Ages, in the time of the reign of the Queen Regina. Of that story, I never grow weary," Emma said with a smile.

"Indeed. I, myself, have quite enjoyed your stories of the dark queen, but tell me, Emma, why are you so fascinated with your mother's nemesis?" Regina had finally mustered up the courage to ask the one question she had wanted to ask the girl since the first night Emma had begun to recount the tales of the Evil Queen, and yet, she refrained from doing so time and time again. Part of her was afraid to learn the answer, though she was never able to determine precisely why. Perhaps she worried that Emma's fascination lie more with the involvement of her mother than with Regina herself, or worse, perhaps Emma had a particular interest in the darker aspects of life and magic, the possibility of which frightened Regina to no end. She remembered all too well the feeling of becoming utterly consumed by the darkness of suffering, of magic, and of power. She would never wish that for Emma. In fact, she had to admit to herself, if she could, she would do anything and everything within her power to maintain the purity of Emma's heart and soul, no matter the cost to herself. The girl had become too precious to her.

"I know not fully," Emma told her honestly. "For as long as I can remember, though, I have dreamt of her." This caught Regina off guard. Had the girl truly dreamt of her, and not only once, but her entire life thus far?

"What sort of dreams?" the witch asked, eager to learn as much as possible of her seemingly inexplicable connection to the girl.

"They are strange dreams," the girl admitted. "The Queen's face is never visible, so I am still unaware of her features, and yet, I always know that it is she in my dreams. They vary greatly as well, and though she is always quite powerful in my dreams, she is never evil to me. She is always kind and loving."

Regina smiled at this, feeling surprisingly sure that were she ever to come to know the child even during her reign as the Evil Queen, she would have surely been unable to do naught but love her. "Go on," she prompted the princess, curious to learn more of her dreams.

"In many of my dreams, I am quite older. It is a truly strange sensation to see myself as a young woman in my dreams, though I am almost always an adult, and the Evil Queen is there and well, she is—it is quite confusing to me. She is…" The girl stops abruptly mid-sentence, her brow furrowing and her lips pursing tightly, and Regina is shocked to see the deep crimson blush that immediately paints the child's fair cheeks and throat. The witch was suddenly wary of whatever Emma had been about to divulge, and perhaps, given how conflicted the princess seemed to be about her dreams of the dark queen, she thought, she would not want to know, and yet she prompted the girl to continue anyway unable to tamp down her curiosity.

"She is what, Emma?" Regina asked softly, but the girl's blush only grew exponentially and her gaze dropped quickly to devour the stony floor of the dungeon. The witch found Emma's clear shyness and embarrassment beautifully endearing, so she attempted to soothe the girl as best she could. "It is quite alright, dear. You do not have to share with me if you do not wish to, but know that you can always share anything you wish with me and it will not change my affection for you. Do you understand, love?"

Emma smiled shyly, glancing back up to capture Regina's comforting gaze, eased by the love in the witch's voice, and though the fiery blush still tainted her features, she nodded her understanding and took a deep breath. "You do not have to be ashamed of or embarrassed by whatever it is, dear," Regina continued. "They are but mere dreams, Emma."

"Okay," Emma whispered so quietly that Regina barely caught it, but the brunette had indeed heard, and hopeful once more at Emma's willingness to share, she prompted the princess to continue.

"So, would you like to share with me?" the witch asked sweetly, hoping the child's answer would be affirmative.

"I have never spoken of this with another," the little girl admitted, her blush growing once more until it painted her forehead as well, "but I will share it with you as you are my dearest friend." Regina's eyes stung at this revelation, and she had to blink rapidly in order to prevent any tears from falling. Those words meant more to her than she could express to the blonde, so she cherished them silently, choking back her sudden urge to cry sweet tears of joy and relief, for the precious princess had become her dearest, and only, friend as well.

Once the brunette had managed to swallow her emotions, she cleared her throat and spoke again to the child, hoping her voice would not break mid-sentence. "Thank you for trusting me, Emma. You are my dearest friend as well." Emma's smile upon hearing Regina's admission was so brilliant and so beautiful that the witch nearly wept again, forever touched by this precious moment with the child who had stolen her heart.

They simply stared at one another a few moments longer, enjoying the comfortable silence in the aftermath of such solemnity and emotion, before Regina sweetly asked Emma to continue with the story of her dreams of the dark queen.

"So, when you dream of yourself as a young woman, the Queen is there as well?"

"She is," Emma said, nodding.

"And do you know her well in these dreams?" Regina asked, hoping whatever revelation she was about to unfold from the child's dreams would not be nearly as dramatic as Emma's ever-growing blush would suggest.

"I do. She is…" This time, Regina simply waited for the girl to finish speaking, hoping that she could divulge the information without needing further encouragement, though if she did require as much, the brunette would gladly provide it. She found she had endless patience when it came to the beautiful, young princess. Thankfully, though, Emma did not keep her waiting long; however, of all the words she was prepared to hear tumble next from the child's mouth, given the many shocking, terrible, and astonishing things she knew decorated her past, she certainly had not been prepared for this.

"She is my lover."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: The Innocence of a Child

"She is my lover."

Though Regina did her best to school her features so as not to alarm the child or make her feel uneasy about sharing the content she was obviously conflicted by, the witch was so internally startled by the revelation and the particular use of the word "lover" that for a short second, she actually considered serving Snow White with a burning lecture on the type of educational content made available to the young princess, secrets be damned. That idea, however, was quickly stricken as the witch realized that were the reigning queen ever to uncover the secret of these precious visits, Regina would certainly lose her only friend. Snow would do all in her power to keep the girl from her, and that, Regina thought, simply would not do.

Regina took several long moments to compose her thoughts from the frazzled and fried mess they had become in the aftermath of Emma's confession before pulling her composure both internally and externally and determining to get to the bottom of this new information. She was careful, though, to keep the concern from her voice, maintaining her usual sweet and soft tone with the child so as not to spook her from sharing.

"Emma, dear, when you say 'lover', do you know what that word means?"

"Yes," the child replied matter-of-factly. "It means she is my beloved. In my dreams, the Queen is my betrothed."

Regina's sigh of relief was blatantly audible and she scolded herself for letting it slip through as Emma's face contorted with confusion from her response, though she could not help the feeling. The idea of a child having such sexual dreams, and about her no less, had been unsettling at best, so to learn that the young princess had merely misused the term was a blessed relief; however, the actual content of her dreams still disturbed Regina. Perhaps, though, the girl had merely grown so enamored with the Regina of her stories that such adoration was bleeding into her dreams. It was certainly not uncommon for young princesses to dream of growing and marrying their perfect princes, so the witch supposed that Emma's dreams were not entirely out of the ordinary. Perhaps they shocked her so because she happened to be the subject of such dreams. Combine this revelation with the inexplicable connection she seemed to share so intrinsically with the girl, though, and Regina was beginning to wonder if perhaps there was a bigger picture she was missing. Try as she might, though, no explanation her mind could invent to rationalize a grown woman having such a connection with a mere child seemed logical enough to suffice.

"I see," Regina said, "and do these dreams trouble you, dear?"

"No, I simply do not understand them," Emma told her, much more comfortable now that the witch seemed to have relaxed back into her typically easy and carefree manner reserved especially for the girl. "The Queen, Regina, is imprisoned eternally. She could never be my betrothed, and would she not be quite elderly by the time I am to come of proper age to marry?"

Regina smirked at the princess's train of thought. Emma was such a unique child, completely without prejudice. Her concern remains not with the idea of being romantically connected to the Evil Queen, but with the worry that said Queen would surely be too old for her. Regina nearly laughed out loud at the notion.

"I suppose she would be," the witch answered her, still smirking her amusement, as she also knew of the spell her mother had secretly cast upon her just before Regina had pushed her through the looking glass. The Evil Queen would forever appear in her prime, blessed and cursed by the magic of eternal youth. Regina saw no need to divulge such information, though. It would, of course, one day come to light as those of her age diminished physically while she remained untouched by time; however, until then, it would be her little secret.

"Do not trouble yourself over such things, Princess," Regina comforted the girl. "They are but dreams, dear. I am sure you will one day find the perfect prince to become your ideal betrothed."

The witch said these words, believing them to be true, though she could not deny the unsettling pain that rippled through her chest at the thought. Perhaps, she did not wish to share Emma either. The thought of a day coming when the lovely princess would be married off to a young prince or perhaps, a princess, given Snow White's penchant for true love, troubled Regina as it meant that surely, Emma would no longer be concerned with visiting the witch, thus costing the brunette her only friend.

At this thought, Regina's pain only doubled. It was the first time she had entertained the idea that Emma's visits could end at any time. Would the princess grow weary of her time spent in the dungeons with the Evil Queen? And if she did, what would happen to the witch? Would she even be able to muster the desire to live any longer, an eternity of absolute solidarity with vivid memories of what it once meant to have someone precious to share your soul with? Would she, once more, be consumed by her rage? Would she survive it?

"Or a princess!" Emma added enthusiastically, pulling Regina abruptly from her morbid thoughts. Regina studied the young girl, a smile painting her softened features. In that moment, she vowed to herself to cherish every second spent with the young girl, for as she had only just realized, her time with the princess was certainly finite with the possibility of ending any day, any minute. So, she swallowed down the growing lump in her throat and blinked away her rapidly rising tears, giving the blonde a soft, reserved smile as she nodded her head in answer.

"Yes, dear," she breathed, "or a princess."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: To Share This Day With You

Emma stirred slowly from slumber, physically aware of another's touch on her young face. She blinked rapidly to clear the sleep from her emerald eyes as the comforting face of her young mother crept into focus. The reigning queen sat settled on the side of her daughter's bed, stroking the girl's tousled golden curls from her cheeks and smiling sweetly down at her.

"Happy Name Day, my child," Snow whispered to her daughter, planting a small, sweet kiss atop the princess's forehead. Emma's smile lit the entire room as she immediately bounded from beneath her blankets and into her waiting mother's arms. Snow wrapped the princess tightly in her arms, planting tiny kisses in her hair as she tickled the girl's sides playfully, Emma squealing and laughing loudly as she wriggled about in the Queen's embrace.

A bark of deep laughter filled the room, capturing the pair's attention. They turned to see King James standing in the open doorway of Emma's chamber, leaning lightly against the frame as he looked adoringly on at his wife and daughter playing merrily together. Such a sight warmed him like no other. His perfect family so filled his heart that at times he thought it might burst with joy.

"Father!" Emma squealed, jumping from her mother's lap and sprinting across the chamber floor in her bare feet and night gown. As she reached the door, she leapt into the air at the same time her father dipped into a squat to catch her mid-leap. He laughed heartily as he spun her around and around, planting kisses in her hair as his wife had done.

"Happy Name Day, Princess!" James said as he stopped his spinning to carefully set his young daughter back on her now unsteady feet, dizzied by the excited twirling. After a moment, she collected herself, letting go of her father to clap her hands gleefully. Emma's Name Day had always been quite the celebration at the castle with her parents indulging her every desire from Emma's favorite meals and baked goods, to visits to and from her family and friends, to long horseback adventures around the castle grounds, to carriage trips into the surrounding villages so that Emma could see the markets and speak with the people. It was also the one day a year on which Emma was exempt from her lessons. The young princess had cherished the freedom of every Name Day, making each one more special than the last.

"Thank you!" the blonde exclaimed, giggling happily as her monarch parents continued to smile and laugh with her.

"What would you like to do today, my darling?" Snow asked as the bright-eyed girl climbed back into her mother's lap. Emma immediately thought of the witch, though she kept the thought safely hidden within her mind, never allowing herself to voice it; however, she couldn't help but want to spend her most special day with her dearest friend and for a brief moment, the princess was overwhelmed with the ache of being unable to do so. She shook herself quickly from her thoughts though and turned back to her mother.

"May we ride together, Mother?" Emma asked, knowing the answer already. Her parents had never denied her on this day.

"Of course, love," Snow nodded. "Where would you like to go?" Emma thought for a long minute before the answer came to her, only furthering her excitement for the coming events of the day.

"May we ride into the forest? I would like to see Red and Granny today!" It had been a long while since the princess had paid visit to her godmother, and the thought of seeing the exuberant, adventurous werewolf thrilled her to no end. She loved her godmother fiercely, Granny as well.

"That is a wonderful idea, Emma," Snow said, missing her dear friend, Red, as well. "I shall send a bird to inform them of our arrival, and once you are dressed, we shall depart." Emma clapped gleefully once more and nodded.

"But first," James interjected, having slipped unnoticed from the room, and returning now with a small, beautifully decorated cupcake in hand, which he held out to his daughter as he knelt before the two women who owned his heart, "you must make a wish."

Emma stared at the tiny candle that sat atop the cake, lit by a single, flickering flame. Each year, she was urged to make a wish on her Name Day, and each year, she refrained from doing so, though she always closed her eyes and pretended she had in order to appease her loving parents. Truthfully, the princess had never felt the need or desire to request a wish of her fairy godmother, even on her Name Day, as she believed she had all she could ever hope for and needed nothing more. A tiny part of her also held a fraction of irrational fear that perhaps princesses were only granted a small number of wishes, which made her cautious of making wishes at all, afraid that she might use them for senseless purposes and no longer have them when she might truly need them.

This Name Day, however, Emma had a very specific, very dear-to-her-heart wish in mind, so she closed her eyes, leaned forward, and allowed the wish to fill her heart and mind. I wish for the freedom of the evil witch, for her second chance. Then, she blew.

Instantly, before Emma had even managed to open her eyes, a tinkling followed by a pop sounded in the room. Emma's eyes snapped open to see her fairy godmother, Blue, hovering just in front of her, her dress a bright periwinkle, her beautiful brown hair pulled up in ringlets and sprinkled with glittering fairy dust, and her shimmering wings fluttering softly upon her back. Blue smiled sweetly, but sadly, at the young princess as she spoke to her charge.

"I hear your wish, Emma, and I thank you for it," the fairy said kindly, "but I cannot grant this wish, Your Highness."

Emma frowned sadly, though she did not question the fairy's denial of her wish. She knew in her heart before she had even made it that the chance of her wish being granted was nonexistent, though she had not wanted to believe as much. Snow and James, however, were not satisfied with the fairy's denial of their princess.

"Blue?" Snow questioned her old friend and trusted advisor. "Why would you deny Emma's wish?"

"My apologies, Your Majesty, but while this wish is certainly within my power to grant, it is not within my right or authority to do so," the blue fairy informed her.

"Why ever not? What has my daughter wished for that you may not grant it?" James asked, echoing his wife's confusion and distaste for such a solemn moment on their daughter's Name Day.

"I offer my apologies, again, Your Majesties, as I am bound and sworn to the confidence of my charges. It is not within my power or my right to disclose the princess's sacred wishes to anyone. I must be going now. Your Majesties, Your Highness." Blue nodded to each in turn, dipping into a graceful mid-air bow, before disappearing with the same tinkling and pop as had sounded upon her arrival.

The King and Queen shared a concerned look as they waited in silence, hoping their daughter would explain what she could possibly have wished for that the fairy would have been unwilling to grant. Young Emma bowed her head, hiding her face behind her long, golden, princess curls, as she subtly lifted a small hand to swipe away the few tears that had managed to fall from her brilliantly green eyes. In this moment, all she wanted was to see her friend, the witch; however, she knew she would have to wait until long after dark, slipping into the dungeons while her parents slumbered.

"May we go and see Red now, Mother?" Emma asked in a whisper, dismissing any further conversation and hoping her parents would not push her to lie to them, as she was sure she would have to do in such a case, as the truth would surely cause chaos.

Snow glanced to her husband, who simply shook his head to tell her to not to push Emma to talk about the denied wish if she did not so desire. He could not bear it when his princess cried, and though he understood that strict laws governed the fairies, he could not help but feel angry toward Blue as he watched the disappointment and sadness wash over his daughter's beautiful features. He would not risk upsetting her further on this day, thus he chose to let the issue drop, and carry on with the day as he had intended for it to be—happy.

"Of course, darling," Snow whispered to Emma, kissing the crown of her head sweetly. "Let us get you dressed for the day."

Emma bounced happily atop Laertes as they made their way through the woods, her parents on both sides of her, each atop their own steeds. Emma loved horses, especially her beloved pony, and the ride had improved her mood exponentially. The princess leaned forward as she rode, stroking the soft, solid white mane of her equally white pony, expressing her affection with soft touches and pats. Laertes whinnied happily at her as he trotted between the massive steeds of the King and Queen. The horse would gladly carry the princess anywhere.

As Granny and Red's cottage slowly came into view, Emma had to force herself to stay atop her pony as she nearly jumped from the saddle with excitement. Red had come bounding from the cottage, her crimson cloak flowing in her wake, as a brilliant smile lit her face upon seeing her friends and her godchild. Emma pulled Laertes to a halt, sliding quickly from his back, and sprinting toward her godmother.

"Red!" she exclaimed, leaping into the beautiful brunette's arms as Red swept her up in a tight embrace before setting the princess back upon her feet and dropping to her knees to be eye-level with the young blonde.

"Oh Emma, I have missed you!" Red told the girl as she stroked a soft hand over Emma's cheek.

"And I you, Godmother," Emma replied happily, leaning into the embrace the woman once more.

"Happy Name Day, Emma," Red whispered into the blonde's ear and she nuzzled her golden curls, taking in the scent of the child most precious to her. "I have something for you."

Red pulled from the embrace to reach into a small pouch clipped to her belt beneath her cloak. From the pouch, she pulled a small leather-corded necklace and held it out to the princess. Dangling from the necklace was a tiny, brilliantly red, figurine of a wolf, crafted from thick glass. Emma stroked the small figure of the wolf reverently, in awe of its beauty.

"It is beautiful, Red!" she exclaimed, evoking another brilliant, loving smile from her godmother as the woman slipped the corded necklace around the young blonde's neck to dangle and rest softly against the child's chest.

"It is enchanted," the werewolf told the princess, watching as the child's eyes widened upon hearing this news. "If ever you are in need of me, Emma, you must simply touch the wolf pendant and whisper my name. The magic of the necklace will transport me to your side wherever you are."

Emma's lip trembled at receiving such a touching and powerful gift. She embraced her godmother tightly again, pressing a small kiss to the woman's cheek. "Thank you. I will cherish it," she whispered.

Red stroked the child's golden curls lovingly and nodded. "You are my godchild, Emma, my family. I will always protect you," she whispered back to the girl, meaning each word with every fiber of her being. She stood and swept the girl up into her arms, propping the princess on her hip as she led the way back into the cabin to see what Granny had cooked up for the royal family.

Emma scurried quickly and excitedly along the forbidden corridor, making her way down the stairwell and into the dungeons so that she may share the remaining few hours of her Name Day with her closest friend. She kept the small cupcake she had stolen from the kitchens tucked safely between her small hands as she practically ran the length of the dungeons to see the witch she had come to love and adore over the last four months.

"I have something for you!" Emma squealed as she rounded the bend, causing Regina's head to snap in her direction. She quickly rose from her cot and made her way to the iron bars, smiling brightly at the young princess as the girl sprinted right up to the cell.

"You do?" Regina asked sweetly. "And what do you have for me, dear?" Emma excitedly held out the small cake, waiting for the brunette to reach forward and pull it from her hands. When she did with the simplest, yet sweetest smile, Emma then excitedly pulled a tiny candle and a book of matches from the small cloak she had donned over her night gown to protect her from the damp cold of the dungeons. She dunked the candle down into the top of the cake as Regina held it out to her and quickly lit the wick with a match.

Regina was deeply touched by the gift, though she wondered what had brought it on. "This is very sweet of you, Emma, but what is the occasion?"

Emma smiled brightly at the witch and said, "It is my Name Day!" Regina's smile fell slightly, though she did her best to recover it. Emma had not even told her that her Name Day was looming. If she had, the witch would have…Regina choked on the sudden sadness and anger that shot through her heart as she realized that even if she had known, she could have done nothing. She had nothing to give the child. She cursed her prison, and she cursed herself for committing the crimes that had landed her within its iron bars. She wanted to be able to shower the princess with gifts on her eighth Name Day, and honestly, she thought, on every Name Day that would follow, and yet, she would spend eternity in this dark, damp place, unable to provide anything other than her time. She hoped it would be enough.

"Oh, Emma," Regina sighed sadly. "Why did you not tell me before?"

"I wanted to surprise you!" Emma responded happily, her excitement untroubled despite the witch's obvious disappointment.

"Surprise me?" Regina asked. "Why surprise me, dear, when it is yourName Day?"

"Because surprises always bring me joy, and I thought a surprise would do so for you as well. I want you to be happy. I wanted to share this day with you," Emma told her as simply as if they had been discussing the weather. Regina's eyes stung fiercely with the effort to keep her tears at bay. Every day, she loved this child more and more, and what the young princess did not know was that Regina's happiness had no need of surprises or goodies. The witch's happiness was wrapped up in the beautiful, bubbly bundle that was the precious child standing sweetly before her.

"Would you like to make a wish?" the princess asked the witch, hoping to share some of the joy of her special day with her friend.

"Very well," Regina whispered, though she knew no wish had ever or would ever be granted her. She had stopped believing in wishes long ago when her love had been taken from her and her innocence sold by her mother for the price of a royal title. She appeased Emma, though, closing her eyes and blowing the small flame to smoke, and just the air brushed past her lips, a wish, unbidden, rose in her mind. I wish for Emma to always be happy. It was the most unselfish wish the witch had ever made, and it warmed her body from the inside out.

Emma quickly snapped her head around, glancing frantically in each direction. Regina chuckled at the sight, though it melted her heart. "I am not a princess as you are, Emma. No fairy will appear here."

The blonde's shoulders sagged as she shook her head sadly, her golden curls tumbling around her face now painted with disappointment. "Princesses do not always have their wishes granted," she whispered sadly. "My wish was denied by my fairy godmother."

Magic would have crackled and lit the air of the dungeon were Regina's cell not blocking her power as the sudden urge to strangle and crush that wretched blue fairy rose fast and fiercely in the witch's chest. How dare that twit deny her princess any wish! The brunette tamped down her frustration as best she could though so that she could comfort the saddened princess. She, too, knew what it was to be denied your heart's deepest desire.

"It is very rare that a princess's wish be denied, Emma, especially on her Name Day," Regina said softly. "May I ask what you wished for?"

Emma nodded against her chest, her chin nuzzling the warm glass of her new wolf pendant, before she lifted her head to meet the witch's gaze. "I wished for your freedom, for your second chance."

At this, Regina made no attempt to hide her emotions. Her tears sprung forcefully forth, staining her cheeks with the wet evidence of her love for the only person who had ever loved her beyond her past and beyond her pain.

"Happy Name Day, darling," Regina whispered through her tears, cupping the small cake in her hand as if it were a precious gem.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: The Struggles of Blue

The blue fairy's heart fluttered wildly in her tiny chest as she flew swiftly through corridors, summoned by the Fairy Queen. A summoning by the queen was rarely a pleasant experience except on the occasions in which a fairy was to receive a new charge or on the rarer occasions when one of their kind, the Fae, had been selected to serve on the High Fairy Council, which deliberated and decreed fairy laws and wish restrictions.

Blue had already been promoted to the Council, and she knew that she already had the maximum number of charges allowed, so the only possible reason she could assume for her summoning was to receive a formal reprimand, though what she had done to deserve such a punishment was beyond her. The fairy godmother floated gracefully into the throne room of the Fairy Palace, her anxiety only tripling as she noticed the displeased look upon the queen's face. What could she possibly have done to displeasure her queen? She had always been a superb fairy, praised highly for her conscience, her integrity, her kindness, and of course, her unquestionable obedience to her queen and to the laws the Fae.

The Fairy Queen was an immaculate, astonishingly beautiful fairy, with shining golden ringlet curls cascading beneath her silver bejeweled crown. Her white gown billowed out beneath her bountiful chest and large, glittering wings, giving her a grand appearance worthy of her royal title. Blue bowed gracefully as she hovered just in front of the grand staircase that led to the queen's throne.

"Your Grace," Blue spoke, while keeping her head bowed, eyes on the floor, her heart pounding so heavily she feared it might rip from her chest, "you summoned?"

"No, Blue, it is not I who has summoned you," the queen spoke in her trademark high-pitched voice that often surprised new fairies when meeting her as her tone seemed so contradictory to the imposing and powerful presence that thickened the air around her.

"Your Grace?" Blue questioned, confused at this news. When the queen's messenger had come for her, she specifically said that the queen had summoned her.

"It is Fate who has summoned you, my dear," the queen said, her voice growing cold and ominous. The color drained instantly from the blue fairy's features. She had never been summoned by Fate before; in fact, she had never even seen Fate, though she, as well as all Fae, are the direct instruments of Fate, knowing that while they are guided by their queen and council, they are ultimately governed by Fate. Blue did not even know the gender of Fate or if it was an actual corporeal being, but what she did know was that in all she had ever heard of the fairies' history with Fate, none were ever summoned by it unless their involvement with a charge would have a great impact on the charge's destiny.

Before Blue had a chance to muster up a response to the queen's news, a booming voice rang out through the throne room, though simultaneously, it sounded as if the voice were speaking directly in her mind, creating an odd echoing effect that sent chills down the blue fairy's spine. The disembodied voice was neither male nor female but rather a strange blend of both as it spoke to her.

"Calm your heart, Blue," Fate spoke to her, the voice like a whispered, yet chilling caress inside her head while, contrarily, it screamed through the throne room in a reverberating command. Blue took great deep breaths in order to do as Fate commanded, though she struggled with the task, her uncertainty and anxiety only growing by the second as she waited for Fate to speak to her again.

"I know of your struggles, Blue," Fate said, "of your desire to break the confidence of your charge's wish. You yearn to inform the White Queen of her daughter's desire for the freedom of the Dark Queen, Regina."

Blue's body quaked as she struggled to remain airborne, her wings sputtering and stuttering in the wake of her discomfort as her voice would likely be, were she to speak. She had, indeed, been struggling with Emma's wish for the freedom of the Evil Queen. The possible repercussions of keeping such confidence weighed heavily on her conscience, fearing the young princess's obvious affection for the Queen, though she knew not what had inspired such affection. She also felt the sting of knowing she could not share with Snow, one of her dearest friends and former charges, of the potential danger the Queen's daughter may very well be in. The look in Snow's eyes on the princess's eighth Name Day when Blue had denied Emma's wish had been heartbreaking, and though Blue had longed to fully disclose her reasoning, she was physically bound by fairy laws not to.

"It is true," Fate continued, "that as a fairy godmother, you are not only bound by the laws of your kind but are also physically unable, as per those laws, to verbally disclose the content of a charge's wish to any other than your charge or your queen; however, it is also true that you are a resourceful fairy, Blue, and a strong-willed woman. If you so determined to share the young princess's wish with her mother, you would certainly find a way to do so."

Blue ducked her head in shame. It was the first time she had ever truly considered breaking the covenant of the fairies by finding a way to betray the princess's confidence, and regardless of whether or not she believed doing so would have been the right thing, it also went against all that she had ever known or was. She was truly ashamed of herself.

"I have summoned you here to remind you of your place. Destiny is not yours to decide, Blue. You would do well to remember as much." There was a long silence after that, a silence that felt so thick and so ominous that it seemed almost as a living entity in the room. Finally, though, Fate spoke again to the fairy, one final time, words that sent a rippling chill down Blue's spine, made her limbs tremble, and rested a heavy burden of knowledge upon the fairy's shoulders, a burden she must bear alone and in secret.

"The destinies of the princess and the Dark Queen are richly intertwined. The future result of this is one fate that must come to pass. You will not betray your charge's confidence, and you will not betray the laws by which you are bound. You will not intervene with Fate, and know this, Blue: If you should attempt as much, your wings will be clipped and you will be exiled eternally, Fae no longer. Do you understand?"

Blue swallowed harshly upon hearing the words, the lump in her throat like a jagged pill sinking heavily to her stomach. She had never been so frightened in all her life, and though she feared the fate of her young charge, she feared a life of exile much more. As such, she bowed her head, noting the few sparkling tears that dropped from her eyes to the floor as she hovered in place, and whispered,

"I do."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: The Mirror Room

Emma crept through the halls of the East Wing, the portion of the castle that had always been primarily forbidden to her. She knew many of the rooms were unused and many others were merely used for storage, but her mother had always warned that much of what was stored within the East Wing of the castle was in vast disarray and Emma could easily become lost or hurt; however, the young princess, having broken the rule of entering the forbidden corridor and discovering that she quite liked what she had found as a result, decided that she would like to investigate the rest of the East Wing as well. Perhaps she would find a great many treasures hidden there. So, it was a day of adventure for the child once her lessons had concluded.

Thus far, though, she had disappointingly come across only dusty, barren rooms or even dustier rooms filled with old trinkets, broken shelves and furniture, and the princess's long-forgotten baby toys. Emma was just about to abandon her latest adventure as it had been purely fruitless and honestly, quite a bore, when as she slinked around a corner at the far end of highest floor of the East Wing, something out of the ordinary caught her eye.

A large, solid black door stood at the end of the corridor, a door much larger than the others she had come across in this wing of the castle, and none of the other doors had been as dark. In fact, Emma could not recall a single other black door in the entire castle, most of them painted in brilliant whites, warm tans and browns, or even gold as her own chamber door was. Finally, the princess had found something worthy of inspecting to appease her adventurous and curious mind.

After glancing around to ensure that no guards were about, the blonde sprinted to the curious door, standing as high on her toes as possible to reach the handle before pushing with all her might against the thick wood. The effort was exhausting, the great door groaning its disapproval, but she finally managed to push it just enough to slip her tiny body through the slim crack she had made.

Emma's gasp echoed loudly around the room as she stared into countless pairs of her own widened emerald eyes. Mirrors. Everywhere she turned, the princess was surrounded by mirrors, both large and small, simple as well as ornate; everything from pocket and hand mirrors to mirrors the size of the great black door she had just come through. It was a truly fascinating sight, seeing her image reflected back to her from every angle, sharing her awe. It nearly made her dizzy.

The princess practically glided throughout the room, still in awe. She had never seen so many mirrors in her life. Now that she was actually considering it, though, she realized that the only mirrors she had ever seen in the castle were those that decorated the walls of her fitting room where the castle seamstress would measure her for her gowns. Had her mother hidden the castle's mirrors here long ago? Why would the queen commit such a strange and curious act?

Emma continued to ponder the possibilities as she made her way through the maze of glass, picking up the smaller mirrors as she went, running her hands over their designs and staring deeply at her reflection. She did, indeed, look much like her mother with the exception of her golden locks, which contrasted greatly from the queen's raven tendrils of perfection. She loved that she looked like her mother who was widely known throughout the lands as the fairest of all queens, just as Snow had also once been the fairest of all princesses. Snow White was truly a sight to behold, Emma knew, and yet she wondered of all the people who had claimed her mother as fairest. She wondered if they had ever seen the brunette witch who lay far beneath the grounds, trapped in the dungeon. Surely, if they had, Emma thought, they would not have been so quick to label her mother the fairest.

The princess squeaked loudly as a small pocket mirror slipped from her grip, falling quickly to the stone floor. As she helplessly watched it descend, she prayed to the Gods that it would not break upon landing. She feared the wrath of superstitions, though her mother and father had frequently assured her that such ideas were foolish, as superstitions held no magic and were naught but frivolous creations of an imaginative mind. Emma breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the mirror made contact with the floor, only clattering loudly, its smooth, reflective glass still very much intact. She swooped down to scoop up the fallen trinket, and as she did, something else captured her attention.

While squatted, Emma realized she could see through the very slim space, just big enough for her to crawl through, between two grand mirrors just ahead, and while her line of sight was limited to that which was close to the ground, she could still make out splashes of color adorning something behind one of the mirrors. Ever the curious one, the princess simply had to investigate.

The young blonde crawled through the tight space into the small open area behind a cluster of larger mirrors. She quickly realized that the splash of color she had seen had been from the only exposed and visible corner of a massive painting encased in a heavy, ornate, golden frame and leaning against the wall, hidden by the mirrors. The painting was mostly covered by a large, dirty, white sheet, so Emma could only make out a fraction of the image, what appeared to be part of a woman's dress. The princess reached forward and wrapped two tiny fistfuls in the sheet, feeling the years of gathered dust coat her fingers and palms, and tugged with all her might.

The sheet came down in a raining cloud of dust and filth, sending young Emma into a fit of sputtering and coughing. She waved her hands in front of her face to clear the air as her coughing finally settled, and slowly the massive portrait came into view. Emma gasped so forcefully and so loudly that she accidentally sucked in another large dose of what dust still remained in the air, spurring on another fit of coughing though she never took her eyes from her discovery, staring long and hard at the picture before her.

There, painted in gloriously beautiful detail and dressed in a magnificent white wedding gown, was her witch. Emma was transfixed by the image of her closest friend painted grandly before her, and just as she began to wonder as to why her mother would have a portrait of the Evil Witch, she actually tore her eyes from the brunette's face and noticed the other two people portrayed in the painting. Standing just behind and to the right of the witch was an elder man that Emma immediately recognized as her mother's father, Emma's grandfather, King Leopold. She had seen several paintings of the former King throughout the castle; and finally, standing just in front of the witch and the king was a young girl of no more than twelve, smiling brightly, with raven hair and forest eyes—Emma's mother, as a child.

The princess was deeply confused and conflicted by the image, and then she read the three words scrawled just above the artist's signature in the bottom right-hand corner of the painting. The Royal Family.

Emma's vision blurred, the colors of the portrait blending before her eyes as a wave of dizziness took over. She swayed on her feet, momentarily teetering on the edge of consciousness as her brain rapidly fit together the many puzzle pieces she had somehow failed to overlook prior to now.

Her dearest friend, the Evil Witch, was the one and only Regina of her stories and of her dreams. That woman trapped in the dungeon's beneath her family's castle, that woman whom Emma had so grown to love, was none other than infamous Evil Queen.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: You Will Know

Golden curls bounced wildly atop tensed shoulders as the young princess Emma sprinted through the forbidden corridor in a panic, taking the stairs as quickly as her short legs would allow. Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest as hers breaths, fast and ragged, screamed through her lungs like great starbursts of energy and fire. Her head, still spinning from the greatest revelation of her life thus far, swam with questions, with concerns, with excitement, and with every colorful emotion a child could ever possibly experience.

She could not shake the image of the painting, of the beautiful brunette in the white wedding gown. The colors, the lines, the angles, and that stunning, yet saddened, chocolate gaze all danced before her eyes as if she were still standing in the mirror room, gazing upon the hidden portrait. The brunette, untouched by time, mesmerized the princess both in the portrait of her past as well as in the present. Her witch, her friend, her confidant was the very woman she had dreamed of for as long as the child could remember, the very woman whose stories she studied and cherished so devoutly—the Dark Queen, her Regina.

Emma was both thrilled to have discovered truth as well as disappointed in herself for not having realized or even suspected sooner. She wondered how she could have been so blind before when it all touched her now with such clarity. Furthermore, she wondered why the witch, knowing of Emma's fascination with the Evil Queen, would choose to keep such truth a secret from the princess, but Emma's trust in the witch was absolute. She never questioned her advice or her choices. She simply accepted the will and the desires of her friend, wanting only to please the woman.

In fact, only once in the entirety of the six months in which the child had been visiting the witch had she actually asked the brunette her name. The two had shared a long, contemplating look, each studying the other, Emma out of curiosity, and Regina, out of concern. Finally, the witch had answered the princess, saying, "When you are ready, you will know." Emma had wanted to push the issue, but instead, she let it fall, swallowing her curiosity out of respect for her witch, and the topic of the beautiful brunette's name never came up again.

Scorching green flames danced in Emma's eyes as they locked upon her target. She ran toward the magical cell she had grown to loathe, her quickened steps splashing loudly atop the dungeon floor, startling Regina as the young girl stopped several feet from the jagged, iron bars of the witch's cell. She stood just beneath the nearest torch, the flickering light casting an almost ethereal glow around the girl. Regina moved quickly to the bars of her cell as the light of the torch made prominent the burning intensity of the princess's gaze and the shimmering tear tracks that striped Emma's fair cheeks from her delicate lashes to her dimpled chin so like her mother's.

Regina was afraid to speak or even move. She had never seen the child so shaken, so magnificently present. It was as if the entire room faded around her until all that remained was the glowing aura that haloed the golden-haired girl. It was obvious to the witch by Emma's intensity that something of great magnitude had occurred, and she was not entirely sure she wanted to know just what that something was.

Regina slowly lowered herself to her knees, her gaze locking with Emma's as they became eye-level with one another. The witch's heart pounded madly in her chest, matching the rhythmic panic of the princess's own pulse, and she wondered if Emma could hear the wild, erratic beat as the brunette's most vital organ threatened the confines of her ribcage. It would surely rip from her flesh at any minute. She held her breath, waiting for something, anything to happen, wondering if she should speak or if she should remain silent, wondering worriedly what had happened to her princess. Was she frightened? Worried? Saddened? Or perhaps, happy?

The fallen queen was jolted, though, from the raging storm of thoughts and emotions raining down upon her heart and mind as the blonde child took a small, cautious, yet determined step forward. That step was then followed by another, then another, and another, until the girl was standing just in front of the cell with her body pressed heavily against the iron bars that had always and would always separate the two. She could feel Emma's tiny, ragged breaths upon her cheeks as the girl stared at her wide-eyed, silent tears still leaking steadily from those stunning, emerald orbs. Regina wondered if the girl was even aware that she was crying. She seemed so present and yet so far away. It was unsettling, and then Emma surprised her by speaking, the young girl's voice a breathless whisper.

"May I touch you?"

Regina was unsure of what to say, of what Emma even meant by that question. She was so startled and uncertain of this entire encounter that she was unable to even put voice to words or words to voice. So, instead, she painfully swallowed the massive lump in her throat and nodded to the girl.

A slender, delicate, and pale arm reached shakily through the space between the bars of Regina's cell, extending toward the brunette. Regina watched Emma's face, studied her gaze as she felt a tiny, chilled palm gently cup her cheek. Emma gasped loudly as her eyes snapped shut, a brilliant image spilling into her mind. She saw herself as an infant, tiny and bundled in her beautiful white and purple embroidered blanket, with bright, forest eyes and delicate tufts of golden hair. Then, she saw through her own infant eyes as if she were reliving a moment, a memory. She looked up through newborn eyes into a warm, cocoa gaze she would recognize anywhere. Her witch. She saw her own tiny hand reach up to wrap around the brunette's finger, feeling the warmth and love in her touch, and then the woman was gone. The image faded to black and suddenly, she was back in the present. She blinked open her eyes as new tears spilled from her lids and her gaze locked onto the imprisoned woman's tormented stare.

"It is you," the blonde child whispered, a brilliant, heart-stopping smile breaking through her tears as she slowly rubbed a tender circle around the witch's cheek with her thumb, "…Regina."

The Dark Queen's gasp echoed throughout the darkened dungeon upon hearing her name whisper across her princess's lips, her own hand lifting to settle atop the child's on her cheek before she shifted forward without thought, squeezing her own arms through the bars to wrap around the blonde. She pulled the girl as close as possible as they shared a broken, yet beautiful embrace.

Neither the fallen queen nor the princess noticed the sparkles of white that danced across their flesh as they held each other, a magic born within the recognition of souls.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: Speaking Without Voice

Ten-year-old Emma sat quietly at the small round table in the castle library, tapping the tip of her quill rhythmically as her mind wandered, the droning voice of her instructor fading to a muffled buzz in the background. Her mother, the reigning queen, sat attentively by her side as if the instructor's words were some fascinating tale rather than the overly told, painfully dull lesson that the words actually composed.

Regina? Emma mentally called out to her friend with her thoughts. The response, as usual, was immediate.

Yes, dear? Regina's sultry voice drifted through Emma's mind in a comforting hum and the princess smiled. Shortly after Emma had discovered the Evil Witch's true identity just two short years prior, both had been startled to discover a strange, new connection between them. Since that one embrace shared in the wake of newfound recognition, the dark queen and the princess had somehow become able to communicate telepathically.

It had happened in the following evening as Emma's mother had lain the girl down to sleep. As much as the princess had wanted to visit her most precious friend again that night, the young blonde was simply exhausted from a long day executed after having little rest the night before, too wired from her own excitement. So, as Emma's eyelids fluttered with the weight of oncoming slumber, she thought of the brunette, her mind whispering two simple words. Goodnight, Regina. 

Regina's eyes had snapped open where she lay atop her prison cot, her head whipping around in search of the princess as she had only just heard the girl's voice loud and clear as if Emma had been down in the dungeon with her. Seeing no evidence of the girl's presence, though, she took a deep breath and relaxed, returning to lie atop her cot once more. She closed her brown eyes and thought, Goodnight, Emma, as she reached for slumber.

Several floors above the brunette, the young princess had immediately jolted from the infancy of her slumber, emerald eyes popping open to search her own chamber for the brunette whose voice had sounded, loud and clear, to the girl. Emma crawled from her bed and padded across to her chamber door to peek into the hallway before turning back to inspect her chamber, seeking the source of the voice she had heard. When she found no one, she climbed back into her bed, a little shaken, and unbidden, another thought snapped into her mind. Has Regina escaped her cell? 

Regina, thinking she surely must be dreaming, responded without concern, snorting her laughter before thinking, If only. Emma gasped loudly before attempting to deliberately call out to the brunette with her mind, though her eyes continued to dart madly around her chamber. Regina? Can you…can you hear me? She waited for the brunette to answer with a simple yes or no, but after only a beat, she heard Regina's mentally whispered words of shock as the witch had frantically jumped from early slumber in realization that she was not, in fact, dreaming, and thought, Oh gods. 

Many times since their discovery, Emma had questioned Regina about the telepathic connection and yet, the brunette had no answers to give her, and if she did have answers, she certainly had been keeping tight-lipped about them. Regina, though, truthfully had no explanation. For all the magic she once possessed and all the magical knowledge that still existed in her mind, she could not fathom how this connection with the princess had come to be. Even those connected by the most powerful magic of all, true love, were not psychically bound; at least, Regina had never heard of such an occurrence, and thank gods for that, she thought. She could just imagine the sickeningly sweet indulgence of such a connection among the likes of Snow and Charming. Snow, where are you? It is a secret, Charming. I will find you, Snow, wherever you are; I will always find you. Oh, Charming! Regina had gagged at the thought of such nonsense; besides, she was sure it was not a true love connection regardless as Emma was merely a child and furthermore, Regina's true love, or the man she had believed to be her true love, Daniel, had died long ago. Thus, she remained without explanation.

What are you doing? Emma mentally asked the former queen as she continued to drown out her instructor's voice with the melodic, trance-inducing tapping of her quill against the wooden tabletop.

Emma, Regina sighed and the princess smiled as she could hear the mocking exasperation in the brunette's voice, I am locked in a magical cell. I am doing nothing.

Right, Emma replied. I am terribly bored.

Where are you? Regina wondered.

I am in lesson, Emma told her. My instructor is lecturing on the history of our kingdom once again. Regina smiled upon hearing that. She knew how much Emma hated the repetitive lessons on the history of the White Kingdom, having endured enough of them to have the entire history memorized practically verbatim. Regina commended the girl for her patience as the brunette, herself, would surely have strangled the instructor by now, if for nothing else but to forcefully inspire a change of subject.

Emma's maturity continued to surprise her the more time passed. It seemed the young princess had intellectually and mentally aged a decade in only two years. It completely bewildered the witch, but more than Emma's maturity surprised her, it was the girl's unwavering trust in and affection for the fallen queen that most shocked and confused her. Even after learning Regina's true identity, Emma's love of the brunette never faltered, despite her knowledge of the many wicked acts the queen had committed, many of those deeds acted upon the princess's own mother. As much as the blonde's open and accepting heart befuddled her, though, Regina dared not question it. She had been so starved for affection and acceptance for so terribly long that she could do nothing but drink Emma's offering in eagerly, with reverence and gratitude.

I miss you. Emma's voice rang in the fallen queen's head again, though it had barely been more than a whisper. Regina's heart warmed exponentially. It had been nearly two months since Emma had come to visit her in the dungeons, and the separation was draining them both emotionally. It was because of this that both the princess and the fallen queen thanked the gods frequently for their precious ability to communicate psychically.

Snow White had become an overbearing motherly wedge between the two, and though she still had no knowledge of Emma's visits with Regina and certainly none of their telepathic connection, she had grown greatly suspicious of her daughter's curious behavior over the course of the last two years—the constant exhaustion as if she were up most nights (which, of course, she was), the way the blonde's head would snap to attention at any mention of the Evil Queen or the Evil Witch or even of magic in general, and the like. Not only that, but Snow had noticed, despite Regina's superb acting abilities and unfailing disdain for the reigning queen, that the brunette witch seemed noticeably more upbeat, less defeated than before, and this worried her endlessly.

As such, Emma began to notice that she was being followed often by a guard or even a pair of guards, many of her favorite secret passageways had been sealed off without explanation, and Snow had been spending as much time with her daughter as possible, even sitting in on all her lessons while King James handled most of the politics of running the kingdom. Therefore, both Emma and Regina had agreed that it was best to greatly limit their visits, though they maintained constant contact mentally, speaking every day without fail.

And I you, dear, but it is for the best, Regina responded sadly, though she could not wipe the smile from her face. She never would have dreamed that she could have such a wonderful friendship with anyone, let alone the daughter of the woman she most despised. Regina could practically feel Emma's frown, though, upon being reminded that they could not see one another. She laughed as she spoke telepathically to the blonde. Try not to frown so, Emma. Your mother will surely assume you are under the influence of dark magic as no lesson of her grand kingdom could ever induce such a reaction. 

Emma smiled brightly at Regina's teasing. The brunette had grown much more comfortable, being more open and more herself than ever since the princess had discovered her identity. Much better, dear, Regina continued. Your smile is bright and beautiful even when I can see it only inside my mind.

The princess longed desperately to see her friend. Her mother's presence as well as her constant spying and questioning had grown nearly to the point of suffocation and Emma ached for the freedom of the ease and comfort with which she could always simply spend time with Regina, sharing stories and unburdened conversation. The blonde closed her eyes and called forth the image of the dungeon, of Regina's magical cell, and finally, of the brunette herself. She imagined herself there, the desire to see her friend filling her every cell, and before she could even open her eyes or realize what was happening, she heard her mother let out a high-pitched yelp.

Emma snapped open her eyes just as a thick cloud of purple smoke engulfed her body and in a flash, the library, her mother, and her instructor were gone as the curious sensation of traveling through time and space filtered into her body, making Emma's blood buzz electrically in her veins, and then suddenly she was on solid ground again. The purple smoke swirled around her young body before dissipating and disappearing into the air like vapor, and there, before her was a wide-eyed Regina, staring shocked at the young blonde from behind jagged, iron prison bars.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Transference

Both Emma and Regina stood shell-shocked at what had just occurred, Regina stunned into silence as she peered out from her cell at the young blonde who had so obviously just performed magic. The brunette witch quickly collected herself though as realization of what would happen next slammed into her brain, sending waves of discomfort and nausea shooting straight to her gut. If Regina knew Snow White, and oh how she knew her, the reigning queen would be appearing any moment now with a raging vengeance.

"Regina, what has happened?" Emma asked nervously, though the fallen queen heard the excitement lacing the blonde's tone. "Was that…Have I done magic?"

"Emma," Regina said calmly, yet her tone was grave, capturing the princess's attention with its solemnity. "You must leave now! You must transport yourself elsewhere, otherwise your mother—"

"—Is here," a familiar voice echoed through the dungeon, as Snow White whipped around the bend coming swiftly into view. The White Queen, with Charming by her side, was flanked by a hoard of castle guards, all with their weapons drawn and at the ready. Snow's gaze immediately locked onto Regina's, and the brunette witch knew this day would not end well.

"Emma, step away from the cell now!" Snow commanded, her tone making no room for argument. Emma glanced quickly to Regina who answered her questioning look with a nod subtle enough for the princess to notice but remained unseen by the blonde's mother. The princess did as her mother commanded, backing away from Regina's cell to stand at Snow's side. Snow White's anger was like a physical presence, a beast, filling the room ominously, and Emma shrank at her side, terrified of what her mother might do in such a state.

"What have you done to our daughter, you witch?!" King James roared from his wife's side, pointing his sword toward the witch. Regina, never having been one to cower and especially not to the likes of a shepherd turned King, straightened her back and rose to her full height, meeting the King's angry glare with a powerful one of her own.

"I have done nothing," she told him honestly, though she of course knew none would believe her.

"Lies!" the King roared again. Snow placed a hand atop her husband's forearm to calm and silence him as she stepped forward toward Regina's cell.

"How have you conjured magic, Regina?" Snow asked, her voice cold, yet curious. "This prison was constructed by the strongest magic of the Fae. How have you defied its power?"

"I have performed no magic, Snow," Regina replied honestly again. "If I were able to perform magic while within this cage, do you truly believe I would remain within it? Would I not have escaped by now, as it has now been a decade since my capture?"

"Lies!" James chimed in again. "Tis but another of her evil plots! The witch is after the princess. She has poisoned her with her magic, Snow!"

"James," Snow said warningly, quieting her husband once more as she pondered Regina's words. Given their history, she had certainly come to distrust her former step-mother and truly believed that Regina nearly always had some plan or ploy working beneath the surface; however, Snow had never known the fallen queen to avoid escape when it was made available to her. Regina would never risk her power and kingdom by remaining hidden within an underground prison had she the ability to evade as much or escape it. Something felt off, strange, and yet Snow could read the sincerity in Regina's eyes, the honesty in the brunette's voice. She wondered, though, Am I falling into another of her traps? So, she acted upon one of her better instincts, closed her eyes, and sent a mental call to one of her closest allies—a magical creature who could surely assist in investigating the matter further.

A familiar tinkling sound followed by a loud pop instantly echoed throughout the cold dungeon as Emma's fairy godmother, Blue, appeared, hovering just to the right of Emma and in front of the reigning queen.

"You have summoned me, Your Majesty?" Blue questioned, glancing around the dungeon and taking note of the King and guards all on alert with weapons drawn, the young princess looking nervously to the ground, and the Evil Queen wholeheartedly glaring from within the confines of the cell Blue had helped to construct.

"I have, Blue. Thank you for coming," Snow said, ever one for proper manners and ever a queen, even in the direst of situations. "I require your assistance if you are able."

"Of course, Snow," Blue responded sweetly to her friend and former charge. "What would you have me do?"

"During her lesson today, Emma was transported magically from the castle library to the dungeon, to Regina's cell. While Regina remains within the cell and claims she has performed no magic, Emma was transported in a cloud of purple smoke," The White Queen told the fairy.

Blue nodded. "I see, and you wish to know if the Dark Queen has regained her power?"

Snow simply nodded, while James on the other hand, chimed in once more. "We wish to know if the witch has tainted our daughter!"

"Very well," Blue replied. "All magic has an intricate signature and scent, specific to the caster. If the magic was performed within the last hour, I will be able to read the signature and determine who the magic belonged to."

"It has," Snow told her.

"Very well," Blue said again. Her shimmering wings fluttered as she floated to the empty space just before Regina's cell. She held out her fairy wand, tracing it delicately through the air. An array of brightly colored lights swirled quickly through the air at the tip of Blue's wand before fading back into nonexistence. The fairy then leaned forward and inhaled deeply through her nose, taking in the remaining scent of the trace of magic.

"Well?" Snow called from behind the fairy. Blue waved her wand once more before turning back to face the reigning king and queen.

"The signature of this magic is quite strong and inarguably clear," Blue told the monarchs. "The signature is that of the Dark Queen." Snow let out a heavy sigh while her husband's mouth opened immediately to shout his next complaint or plan of retribution; however, before he could speak a word, he was silenced as the blue fairy held up a hand to stop him, signaling that she was not finished.

"However," the fairy continued, because although her dislike of the Evil Queen was quite clear, her warning from Fate pushed her to absolute honesty, "while the signature is purely Regina's, the scent is not."

Both Snow's and Regina's heads snapped to attention at that. Regina knew she had not performed the magic, yet she would recognize her own brand anywhere, and knew that the magic that transported Emma to her was her own, yet she had not cast it. She was now just as angry as the others, furious that someone had somehow tapped into her power, most likely in an effort to incriminate her further, convincing the monarchs that she had somehow tainted their daughter with her magic.

"What does that mean?" Snow asked, genuinely shocked and confused at the entire situation.

"It means, Your Majesty, that while the magic belongs to Regina, it was not she who cast it," Blue answered. "The scent is quite unique and belongs not to the Dark Queen, but to the princess herself. It was she who performed magic this day, not Regina. The Dark Queen is safely confined within her cell as she has been, utterly powerless."

Regina gritted her teeth to stop herself from berating Blue for the fairy's blatant dig at her. She may not have her magic, but the fallen queen would hardly call herself "utterly powerless." She was powerful in reputation alone, gods knew. As Regina was imagining herself plucking the wings from the annoying fairy, though, she was swiftly brought back to the present as Emma's sweet, yet nervous voice trembled in Regina's mind.

Regina, I am afraid. The fallen queen's heart clenched and nearly broke upon hearing the trembling unease in her princess's telepathic voice.

Do not worry, my love, Regina reassured her, capturing the blonde's gaze from across the room as she continued to call out to her. All will be well. 

As she thought the words, Regina did her best to convince herself that they were true, but there was so much about this that she simply did not understand. How would Emma have been able to access her magic, let alone utilize it without proper knowledge or training? Then again, how were they speaking telepathically? The entirety of her connection to the young princess completely and utterly perplexed the witch. It confounded her so much in fact that she was seriously considering disclosing every aspect of her curious connection with the blonde to the blue fairy or even Snow White just so that perhaps someone, anyone, might be able to provide her with answers since her cell prevented her from seeking them on her own. She refrained, however, fearing that doing so might worsen her current predicament further, and above all, she was terrified that Snow would commission that wretched fairy to find some magical way to prevent Regina from any and all further contact with the princess.

But, how is it that I have magic, Regina, your magic? 

I do not know, Emma, but I intend to find out, Regina told her solemnly, one way or another.

Are you angry with me? Emma's voice was a pained, worried whisper in Regina's mind as she timidly posed the question, and it made the witch melt. She had indeed been angry to hear that her magic had been used by another until she discovered that it had been Emma herself who had accessed Regina's power, and her anger dissipated entirely. In fact, she realized that she would gladly share anything of hers with the princess should the girl desire it, though she feared what her magic, dark as it was, might do to the girl and hoped her princess would remain unharmed by it. Her gaze met Emma's once more, softening entirely to reassure the princess.

No, Emma, she responded sweetly, I could never be angry with you, dear.

Blue's discomfort was clear and filled the room ominously, which did nothing but fuel Snow's fear and elevate her unease, knowing that the fairy had yet to reveal all that she might know of the situation. Thus, Snow prompted her old friend for answers.

"How is this possible, Blue?" The queen asked. "How would Emma be able to access Regina's magic and use it? She has never even learned the ways of magic or trained in how to perform it."

"I am uncertain, Snow," Blue answered her, "but there is only one possibility that I am aware of. It is, however, a very old and rare form of magic that is known as Transference, and as far as I am aware, Your Majesty, this magic…" The fairy hesitated as all present within the dungeon clung to her every word. She doubted her own knowledge of the subject as well as the possibility that what had happened here could actually be this legendary magic, yet it was the only answer she knew of.

"What, Blue?" Snow prompted her. "Tell me."

Blue hesitated only a moment longer, ringing her hands nervously as she met the White Queen's gaze. "This magic has only ever been known to exist among destined Soul Mates."

A unified, echoing gasp ripped through the dungeon, reverberating loudly off the walls as Regina, Snow, and Charming all reacted to the fairy's words. The last thing Snow White saw was the shocked and terrified expression that twisted across her former step-mother's face before all went black and the reigning queen collapsed heavily to the floor.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: Desperate Measures

Snow White blinked rapidly as she slowly traveled back to consciousness. As her vision finally focused, her own wide and worried emerald eyes stared back at her from the face of her daughter who the queen quickly realized was sitting atop her chest and hovering nervously over her.

"Mother?" Emma asked, her voice trembling, and Snow immediately noticed the tear tracks that painted her daughter's beautiful cheeks. She did her best to suck in a deep breath beneath the weight of the princess before managing her best reassuring smile given the circumstances. She lifted her hands to latch onto her daughter's waist before raising the girl up to settle Emma just off to her side. She then pushed herself into a sitting position and realized that she was in her own bedchamber, though she and her daughter were alone. The last thing she remembered was being in the dungeon.

"Oh, Mother!" Emma exclaimed as she seemed satisfied with Snow's seemingly healthy and normal behavior. "You worried me so!"

"I am fine, darling," Snow said softly, hoping to reassure her child while simultaneously being quite moved by Emma's endearing and genuine concern for her wellbeing. "I apologize for frightening you." She cupped a gentle hand around her precious princess's tender cheek and did her best to school her features as the memories of what had come to light in the dungeons flooded back to her with a raging ferocity. Whatever were they to do with this knowledge, if it was even true? A great part of her doubted that any part of it could be true in regard to her daughter and her former step-mother, though an even greater part of her quaked in fear that it just might be. She needed answers.

"Where is your father, Emma?" Snow asked the princess softly.

"I am here, Snow." Her husband's voice sounded thick with worry as he re-entered the room in a rush upon seeing his wife awake once again, having only left their chambers to retrieve a glass of water and a wet wash cloth for the queen. He made his way to the side of the bed, sitting softly to the side of his wife while their daughter still clung to the queen's side as if she feared the raven-haired woman might disappear at any moment. James handed Snow the glass of water and as she drank deeply, he dabbed her cheeks and forehead with the cool, wet wash cloth, hoping to soothe her as best he could. They both had suffered quite an emotional blow in the dungeons and though he, too, had the urge to simply fall apart upon hearing Blue's revelation, he instead chose to remain strong for his wife, but more than that, he chose not to believe a word of it. He could not even bear the thought of the possibility.

"You fainted, my love," James whispered softly to his wife, leaning forward to plant a delicate, loving kiss to Snow's forehead. "I carried you to our chambers and we have been waiting for you to wake ever since, though it has not been terribly long. How do you feel now, darling?"

"Better, thank you, James," Snow replied, reaching a hand over to squeeze her husband's own in reassurance. Her family made her feel so loved and so special, though she knew this moment could not last. There were serious issues to tend to, and in order for the queen to do so, she must first speak to her husband in private, which meant Emma would have to go; Snow, however, was far from comfortable with Emma being left on her own. So, Snow shared a knowing look with her husband before quietly excusing herself quickly from their chambers and into the hall where the guards who had accompanied them to the dungeons as well as the blue fairy waited anxiously for word of the queen's condition. They all perked up upon seeing her awake and alert once more.

"Thank you all for your concern," she said regally, smiling graciously at each of them before requesting a private word with Blue. The fairy agreed and flew behind the queen, following Snow through the nearest door into Emma's own chambers. Once inside, Snow quickly turned to her old friend, her words fast and solemn.

"Blue, is there a spell you can cast upon Emma's chambers to prevent magic from being performed within?

"There is, Your Majesty," Blue told her confidently, "but it will not be indefinite. The spell will last only this night and the next, ending with the rise of the new moon."

"Very well," Snow said, sighing as she nodded. "Cast it immediately. I will send Emma to her chambers in five minutes' time." Blue nodded her understanding and set about Emma's chambers, waving her wand as a periwinkle light emanated from her chest, the magic of the Fae springing forth from within her.

Snow returned swiftly to her own chambers where James and Emma sat waiting for her. "Emma," Snow began, "Your father and I must speak privately; therefore, I am sending you to your chambers where you will remain until either your father or I come for you. The Blue Fairy has cast a spell upon your chambers to prevent you from performing magic. This is for your own protection. Do you understand?"

Emma appeared momentarily crestfallen and though her mother's tone warned her not to argue, she could not help the question that spilled from her lips. "Will the spell last, Mother? Will I never be able to perform magic while within my chambers?"

Snow gritted her teeth upon hearing her daughter's blatant disappointment at the prospect of being unable to perform magic, and though she did her best to never lie to her daughter (with the exception of the omission of the Evil Witch's identity as the Evil Queen), she braced herself, calmed her facial features, and breathed a line of pure dishonesty. "Yes, Emma. The spell is indefinite."

Regina could feel Emma's disappointment and frustration as she heard the blonde princess grumble nonsensically inside her head. Worried for her, she reached through their secret telepathic bond, calling out to the child.

Emma? Are you well?

I have been locked within my chambers, Emma answered her, and though Regina was not surprised by this in the slightest, it still made her want to choke the life out of Snow White. How dare they lock her precious princess away as if she, too, were her parents' prisoner. It did not sit well with the witch at all. However, not wanting to speak ill of the girl's mother to her, she did her best to reassure the blonde.

They are simply trying to protect you, dear. I am sure it will not be for long. 

It will, Regina. My mother had Blue cast a spell upon my chambers. It prevents me from performing any magic. Regina only grew angrier at this. Snow was acting as if Emma had deliberately desired to learn and perform magic and intended to do it again, and to have the fairy perform such a spell suggested that the White Queen intended to keep her daughter tucked safely away there for an extended period of time. That, Regina thought, simply would not do.

Regina racked her brain, calling forth every bit of magical knowledge lurking in the recesses of her mind, unused and unneeded over the course of an entire decade spent caged like an animal in a magical prison. She needed knowledge. Knowledge was power, and if she could perhaps learn more of her connection to the princess, she could use that knowledge to help the girl and perhaps even help herself. But given her particular situation, her options were quite limited. In fact, she could think of only one way to obtain the information she required.

Snow White had argued furiously with her husband as they exhausted option after option. She knew she needed information, more knowledge on the curious circumstances, but she knew of only one way to obtain exactly the knowledge she needed. James denied the option, pleading with her to reconsider, but the queen was resolute. She would do this with or without her husband's approval. She would do anything in her power to protect her child from the woman who had nearly ended her life on more than one occasion.

Snow White and the Evil Queen, in their separate parts of the White castle (Snow in the Council Room and Regina in her prison cell) prepared themselves mentally and emotionally for what they were both about to do, though neither was aware of the other's identical plan. Neither wanted to perform the treacherous deed, yet they were otherwise helpless. Both were desperate women. After steadying their own individual resolves and calming their rapidly beating hearts, both the reigning queen and the fallen queen closed their eyes and spoke a singular word, the name of one both feared and respected by all.

"Rumplestiltskin."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: The Tome of Reverence

Rumplestiltskin sat quietly within the Dark Castle, transfixed upon his spinning wheel, spinning straw into gold. Though he often used this unique skill of his to make easy payment to the many desperate souls who offered him unique trinkets and other prizes, he primarily found a soothing level of solace in the work. As his thoughts, tormented by memories of his past and visions of the future, tumbled and rolled throughout his head, his hands went about their work unconsciously until two very familiar voices whispered in his mind, stirring him from his trance. A wicked grin stretched across the Dark One's scaly, golden lips as he recognized both trembling voices.

"Well, well, well," Rumple said excitedly to the empty room, "is that a summoning I hear on the winds of desperation?" He giggled gleefully as he thought of the two women in need of his assistance, one of whom he was quite surprised to hear from as she had been held in captivity for just over a decade and, of course, had little, if anything to offer him; the other, however, he was not quite as surprised to hear from. He rolled his reptilian eyes dramatically as he thought of the White Queen. Those who were devoutly considered (and considered themselves) "good" were almost always the first to call upon him, despite how loudly they protested to ever doing so or needing to do so. It was only ever a matter of time, as desperation brewed in even the purest of hearts and souls.

"Which to deal with first?" He thought merrily before snapping his fingers and disappearing into thin air, the large wheel of his spinning machine still twirling lightly in the silent and suddenly empty confines of the Dark Castle.

Snow White paced the Council Room of her castle, her worries eating her alive from the inside out. She had gone over her options furiously and had concluded that she must summon the Dark One to her aid, though she now greatly doubted her own decision, terrified of what price he may require in payment of any information he might be able to provide. As she worked herself into frenzy, though, she jumped in surprise as she was suddenly shaken from her thoughts by a loud popping sound that echoed through the room. She turned to find the golden-skinned imp that was Rumplestiltskin sitting atop a tall shelf on the opposite end of the room, legs crossed daintily and a sickening smile painting his reptilian features. Snow's stomach churned at the sight of him as a feeling of dread spread thickly through her, though she summoned as much bravery and confidence as she could muster and faced the creature regally.

"You called, Your Majesty?" Rumple drawled as his sinister gaze devoured the fairest of them all with an eager hunger.

Snow swallowed the lump in her throat and it went down like a ball of fire, burning fiercely in the pit of her stomach. "Yes, Dark One. I am in need of your assistance."

"So many are, dearie," he said happily, "so many are." He said nothing more, allowing the ominous silence to fill the empty space of the room, knowing the White Queen would confess her need without prompt. Sure enough, only seconds passed in silence before Snow continued.

"I seek information of a rare kind of magic known as Transference," Snow professed. The Dark One was rarely, if ever, surprised; however, this particular request surprised him greatly and intrigued him even more. He, himself, was desperate to know more. He maintained his ever curious and quirky composure, though, and carried on with the queen.

"Ah, yes," he said simply, "Trrrransference!" He rolled the "r" of the word dramatically as he twirled a hand through the air before jumping down from the shelf to stand before Snow White. She took a quick step back from the imp to reconstitute some of the space that had been between them, uncomfortable with standing so closely to the man.

"Are you able to help me?" she asked hopefully. Rumplestiltskin nodded quickly, smiling once more.

"I can provide the information you seek, but all magic comes with a price, dearie! So, what can you give me in return?"

"What is it you desire?" Snow asked warily, her stomach pitching and rolling as she thought of the many terrible favors the snake of a man might request. "Land? A castle, perhaps?"

"Oh, no, no, no, dearie," Rumple told her with a cackling laugh that sent a vicious shiver down Snow's spine. "For the information you seek, I require something quite simple, you see!"

"Name it," Snow said solemnly.

"A hair!" he exclaimed with a flick and flourish of his hand once more. Snow, shocked by the simplicity of such a request, simply reached up to her own raven hair to pluck away a long strand, but before she could pull the hair from the root, the Dark One waggled a fast finger at her.

"Oh no, dearie!" he said, stopping her. "I require a strand not from you, Your Majesty, but from the crown of the wee princess's fair head." Snow recoiled instantly, disgust marring her features, her head already shaking furiously from side to side in denial of the golden-skinned man's request.

"Are you sure?" he questioned her denial. "It is but a single hair after all and you will not find what you seek elsewhere!"

"No, no deal," Snow answered him immediately. She knew not what the man might do with a single hair, and though she would risk it were it her own sacrifice, she would not, in any way, endanger her precious daughter. She knew too well of the wicked ways of the Dark One. No, she would find another way, even if he claimed it impossible.

"Very well," Rumplestiltskin answered, disappointed by the White Queen's resolve and denial of his request. Manipulative as he always was, he could not deny free will. Therefore, he dipped into a dramatic bow before disappearing with a snap of his fingers and an echoing pop.

Regina sat atop her dungeon cot, stewing in her anger. She had been certain the Dark One would answer her summons, if from nothing else than out of mere curiosity; however, she had been wrong. He had not heeded her call, and thus, she now sat solemn and alone, entirely out of options to obtain the information she required so desperately.

"Time is precious, dearie." The familiar voice of Rumplestiltskin sounded through the dungeon, snapping the fallen queen to attention. He had come after all. "Dungeon gossip interests me little." His giddy giggle infuriated Regina to no end as the imp mocked her predicament. She quickly rose from her cot and moved to the bars of her cell, glaring into the reptilian eyes of the man who once had trained her in the ways of dark magic, the man who had manipulated her, using the fragility of her suffering heart to shape her into the monster she later became.

"Save it, Rumple," Regina snapped at him. "We both know you would not be here if my summons interested you so little."

"Perhaps so, dearie," Rumple conceded, "though surely you would have requested a magical prison escape sooner than a decade!" He laughed wickedly once more, which only further infuriated the witch. Oh, how she would love to rip his blackened heart from his chest and crush it to perfect ash.

"I do not seek escape as I am sure you have assumed," Regina replied dryly, tiring already of the imp's childish demeanor and mind games.

"Indeed," he said darkly. "What is it you desire then, dearie? The death of the fair Snow White, perhaps?" Regina cocked an eyebrow, momentarily thrilled with the idea of being finally free of that insufferable woman, but then she thought of her beloved Emma and how the death of her mother would crush her, and that was all it took for Regina to instantly dismiss the considering thought.

"The death of the King? Or perhaps," Rumple continued, a vicious grin devouring his features, "the death of the precious princess? What a sweet revenge that would be, dearie!"

"NO!" Regina growled, her fury echoing through the dungeon like that of an angry god.

Well, well, well, Rumplestiltskin thought, taking in Regina's vicious reaction to the prospect of the princess's death, this is interesting. Regina, quickly realizing how easily she had lost her composure and fearing what Rumple might make of it, attempted to regain her resolve and speak again, clarifying her reaction.

"I…I seek the death of no one," she told him, trying desperately to calm her heart beating madly beneath her flesh. "I seek only information." Rumple waited quietly for her to continue, his glee only growing with each passing minute as the realization of the similarities between the White Queen's request and the Dark Queen's request clarified in his mind. This day only gets better, it seems, he thought wickedly, resisting the urge to clap his hands excitedly.

"I require knowledge of the connection and magic of Soul Mates," Regina told him. "Little is known of this legendary magic and few even believe it to truly exist, but I have need of the truth. Can you provide this?"

Rumplestiltskin practically jumped for joy as he thought of all he could gain from this little deal, because if his assumptions were correct, then Regina could provide him with exactly what he desired—a hair from atop the princess's golden head. He decided to toy with her desperation, though, for old time's sake, knowing the witch would take the bait. What he did not know, however, was that Regina was quite prepared for this little visit and had long ago ensured that were she ever in dire need of the Dark One's assistance again, he would be unable to deny her any wish. The tables were about to turn on the imp, and he remained entirely unaware, which Regina found rather amusing considering the man had the ability to predict the future; then again, one can only predict what one determines to know. If he thought not on a particular subject, then he would not see it, and he had not thought on the subject of Regina in a very long time, even before her capture (with the exception of the Dark Curse, which he himself had created), allowing her to hide much from the man.

"I can," the reptilian-skinned man answered, "and yet, I will not, as you have nothing to offer me in return, dearie! Now, I must be going. As shocking as it may be, there are plenty of souls more desperate than yours in need of my grand assistance!" He danced about as he spoke, flicking and flourishing his wrists and hands, making a show of his mockery before holding up a hand to snap away from the dungeon, knowing full well that Regina would stop him.

"Wait!" Regina commanded, knowingly playing into Rumple's hand. The Dark One grinned wickedly, but the witch only saw her own triumph in that dark smile. "I have something you desire," she said, her own grin now decorating her stunning features.

Rumple was taken aback by the fallen queen's statement and somewhat disturbed at her now obvious confidence. He had never feared the dark witch he had helped create, but he was no fool to believe her powerless even when confined in a magical prison. In fact, she had grown to be the most powerful student he had ever mentored, surpassing even her mother, though she only managed to do so after she had banished the woman to Wonderland with his help. As much as he often despised the brunette, he remained quite proud of her, though he would never admit as much to anyone, and he certainly did not trust her. The Dark One trusted no one.

"What could you possibly have that I might desire, dearie?" Rumple inquired eagerly, just as Regina knew he would. As clever as the imp could be, his weakness had always been his curiosity. Once his intrigue had been stirred, he could never deny himself the adventure of unraveling the mystery. Like most who studied dark magic, Rumplestiltskin was consumed with the desire for knowledge. They all soaked it in like hungry sponges. Knowledge was power. "You have been reduced to rags, Regina. Your wealth, your kingdom, your castle, your power, and your people have all gone from you now, dearie."

Regina ignored the man's taunting, focusing instead on supplying the bait that would secure her catch. "Many years ago, Rumple, I took something from you, something rather precious." Rumple's ears perked up at this, his head tilting to the side in confusion and curiosity. He could think of no item he considered particularly precious with the exception of the dagger that could claim his life and steal his power, but that was hidden well and he checked its position every day to ensure its safety. It remained where it had always been, safely locked away where none but him could find it. The witch was bluffing.

"My apologies," Regina corrected herself, "did I say 'something'? What I meant to say was someone." The witch's wicked smile only grew as recognition flashed across the imp's sickly golden face before pure, unadulterated fury filled its wake. In a flash, Rumple was upon Regina's cell, his hands clutching the bars fiercely and his faced pressed through one of the cracks, mere inches from Regina's own though the witch did not back down. She simply continued to smirk at the man, knowing full well that she had now won their little game, and oh how Regina loved to win.

"YOU WILL TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" Rumple screamed in Regina's face, his voice no longer the high-pitched flirtation it typically maintained, but instead it had grown deep and unrelenting, a powerful force on its own as it ominously filled the steadily darkening dungeon. Rumplestiltskin had long searched for his missing love, the lovely woman who had shown him kindness and affection despite his appearance and his reputation. Belle was truly precious, and he ached to have her back, though even with all his power, he had never been able to track her down once she had gone, never knowing that she had been taken and only believing that the bright-eyed brunette had finally come to her senses and abandoned him.

"You will give me the information I seek," Regina told him confidently, "all of it. Then and only then will I return your precious Belle to you."

The Dark One's anger practically rippled off his reptilian skin in waves as he considered the witch's words, furious that he had been bested and once again denied the deal he desired, though he knew without doubt that he would accept the witch's terms if it meant the return of Belle. "Deal," he spat in Regina's face before pulling back from the bars of her cell and snapping his fingers.

A massive, solidly golden book appeared in his hands and Regina gasped her surprise. "Is that what I think it is?" she questioned. She had only ever heard tales of the book's existence and was purely in awe to now see it with her own eyes, very much real.

"It is," Rumple replied as he turned the heavy golden pages of the Tome of Reverence. It was a legendary and unique book, forged from gold thousands of years in the past, an unmatched source of information paying tribute to the oldest, rarest, and most powerful kinds of magic of all realms in existence. Regina knew not how Rumplestiltskin had come to acquire it, though she knew if anyone were able to gain such a prize, it would surely have been the Dark One himself.

Rumple finally found the information Regina required and began to read from the book, following the words with a scaly finger settled daintily upon the metallic page. The Dark One had the power to read and speak all languages, even the most ancient of tongues, thus he translated the text easily for the witch to hear.

"Of all magic known to us, there exists one more powerful than any other," he read swiftly. "It is an ancient and rare magic of unknown origin. The power of this magic exceeds even that of a union of True Love as True Love is a component of this more powerful magic. It is the magic of destined Soul Mates. Soul Mates exist when one unified soul is split and born into two bodies, creating twin souls. Once each being reaches the age of understanding and is united with the other, upon first physical touch, each soul will recognize the other and will be woven into one once more. United Soul Mates share a bond more powerful than any in existence, imparting unique abilities and magic upon the bearers. Each soul will impart its experience upon the other, sharing each being's intellectual, emotional, physical, and magical maturity. Destined Soul Mates shall become united in all possible manners, gaining intricate knowledge of one another that shall solidify the unique magic and power of their shared destiny. Of the many magical abilities of destined Soul Mates, two abilities garner the most power and thus, require due reverence. These abilities consist of the magic of Transference and the magic of Telepathy.

Both powers shall only occur once each individual being harboring twin souls reaches the age of understanding and the two beings share physical touch. Once this has occurred, the magic of Transference as well as the magic of Telepathy will flourish in the reunited soul halves, eternally binding the beings to one another. The magic of Telepathy allows for destined Soul Mates to communicate without voice. This magic knows no bounds and shall remain untouched by time or distance. Of the magic of Transference, little is known. It is believed that destined Soul Mates may impart their individual magical abilities upon one another, transferring each of their own unique power to the other. It is further believed that destined Soul Mates may use the magic of Transference to tap into the power of their mate when the need or desire arises once an initial physical connection has occurred.

The magic of destined Soul Mates is the rarest form of magic known in all the realms and throughout time. It is believed to occur once only in a millennium. Beings who share the magic of destined Soul Mates shall also share the power of True Love and it is believed that any and all children born of destined Soul Mates shall be innately magical and powerful beyond measure."

Rumplestiltskin closed the tome with a heavy, echoing snap, the silence that followed filling the dungeon air like a cancer that ate at Regina's shell-shocked flesh. Her head was spinning at a rate that threatened her ability to remain conscious. How was any of this possible? Emma was a child, a child! And yet, she could not deny the truth of the scripture in regard to her connection with the blonde princess. She attempted to fit the ridiculously crooked and complicated puzzle pieces together to make sense of the reality she now was facing, repeating the passages of the tome over and over in her head, and suddenly a memory spilled into her mind, and just like that, all the puzzle pieces snapped into place.

She saw herself ten years prior in all her Evil Queen glory, her slender finger wrapped delicately within the palm of the newborn princess's tiny hand. She recalled the deep connection she felt to the child, though at the time, she could not explain it; now, however, it all made perfect sense. It was the first physical connection they had ever shared, and while Emma in her infancy had nothing to impart upon the Dark Queen which allowed the brunette to remain seemingly unaffected, Regina had certainly imparted upon the baby, her own intellectual, emotional, physical, and magical growth weaving into the newborn's soul just as the tome had indicated. It certainly explained Emma's profound maturity at such a young age as well as her frequent dreams of the fallen queen. No magic had been born of this connection, though, because Emma had not yet reached the age of understanding. Regina imagined it was quite rare, if not entirely unheard of for destined Soul Mates to meet before both had reached the age of maturity, thus making their situation undeniably unique.

In their world, while the age of maturity occurred at eighteen years, the age of understanding occurred much sooner, believed to be at seven years when a child comes to understand the distinction among the separate shades of morality. Since Emma's infancy, she and Regina had not shared another physical connection until their precious embrace shortly after the princess's eighth Name Day when the child had discovered Regina's true identity, their twin souls weaving together through the power of physical touch and the magic of true recognition. It was in this moment with this embrace that the magic of Transference and Telepathy were finally able to flourish. Their simple embrace had awakened a magic from deep within, the most powerful magic in all the lands, and with that knowledge, Regina realized that her golden-haired princess had not only alleviated the witch of her bone-deep loneliness, she had completely and irrevocably changed Regina's life.

The witch was snapped suddenly from her thoughts as Rumplestiltskin's voice rang through the dungeon again, demanding their agreed price for his assistance be paid. Regina nodded slowly, still stunned by all that she had just discovered, before quietly informing the imp of where he could locate his long-lost love, held deep within a hidden chamber in the fallen queen's former castle. She provided him with the words of the incantation that would uncloak the chamber hidden within the castle's very walls, and how to access entry. The words had barely left her lips before two scaly fingers snapped loudly, and the Dark One was there no longer.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: A Mother's Lies

Nearly a week had passed since Snow White had ordered her daughter to be locked within the girl's spellbound chamber to protect her from the growing connection between the princess and the former Evil Queen. Emma paced her chamber, her agitation having reached the point of unbearable. She simply could not fathom how Regina had managed not to slip into utter insanity after spending a decade within the confines of her prison cell when Emma, surrounded by the comfort and luxury of her own royal bedchamber, was on the verge of madness after only a week of being unable to leave. All day and all night she was locked within her chambers, visited only thrice daily to receive meals from her mother or father who frequently apologized but reminded her that her isolation was for her own protection until they could gain the information they needed to compose a solid plan of how to move forward.

Emma, though, was having none of it. The first two days of her isolation, she pleaded with her parents to help her to understand, to let her free of her chambers, to let her assist in seeking answers, yet her many requests had been denied without second thought. As such, a deep anger and resentment toward her parents grew steadily within her and by the third day and each day since, the young princess had resolved to deny her parents any further respect or affection. Rather, she greeted the monarchs with only silence, refusing to speak to either no matter how they tried to reason with her. She would not even look them in the eyes. The only person she communicated with now was Regina by way of their shared telepathy. The witch was Emma's only solace during her isolation, as they now shared a similar predicament, and the brunette consistently did her best to comfort the young princess and reassure her that all would be well again soon, that her parents were merely frightened for her and protecting her the best they knew how. Emma, though, wholeheartedly disagreed.

Emma, darling, you must calm yourself, Regina cautioned her princess, her sultry voice filling the girl's head comfortingly. You will make yourself ill. She had been able to sense Emma's anger steadily growing throughout the past few days, and frequently felt the pain of the princess's tears, which simultaneously broke the witch down to a mess of her own puddled sadness at being unable to pull her golden-haired girl into her arms to comfort her as well as stirred a violent anger within her at the audacity of that wretched Snow White and her precious Prince Charming.

I cannot calm myself, Regina, Emma's sweet voice answered her. I have tried. I feel as a caged animal. I need to leave, Regina. I cannot breathe. I cannot sleep. I cannot even eat. Regina's fury was a tangible beast in the dungeons, her knuckles painfully white as she listened to the suffering of her beloved princess. If ever she escaped this damned prison, there would be hell to pay, a price she intended to place upon the woman she had despised for so long. It no longer mattered to the witch if Snow's intentions were pure. Emma deserved so much better than this cruelty, regardless of its innocent nature. The princess had done nothing wrong, and it certainly was no fault of the girl's that she was born into this fate, just as it was no fault of Regina's. She simply could not stand this any longer. Something must be done.

I need you to try harder, my love, Regina pleaded with the girl. Please, Emma, I cannot stand your suffering. It breaks my heart. 

Emma immediately relaxed upon hearing her witch's confession. She forced deep, calming breaths into her young lungs in an effort to do as Regina requested. She would do anything for the beautiful brunette,anything, a fact that only further solidified shortly after she had been locked in her chambers and Regina telepathically had informed the girl of the truth of their shared fate as destined Soul Mates. Truthfully, Emma did not understand all of it, but then again, it was unfamiliar territory for the witch as well, though the princess admired and respected her beloved witch even more upon hearing the truth. She had always known they were connected, and this new knowledge only proved she had been right, justifying her many dreams as well as her deep affection for the brunette. She had been truly surprised that Regina had shared the information so freely with her, as most adults often picked and chose what they believed a child should and should not know, but not Regina. She had been devoutly honest with Emma ever since the girl had discovered who she really was, and shared with her openly, answering her many questions regardless of how tiresome they might become at times. And during this difficult time now, Emma felt that Regina truly was her only ally, perhaps because they shared the same destiny and predicament or perhaps simply because the brunette loved her so.

Good girl, Regina whispered inside the princess's head, sensing Emma's calm as it eased the ache in the brunette's chest and the throbbing in her brain. She breathed a sigh of relief in knowing she had once more successfully comforted and calmed the blonde, which only comforted and calmed Regina herself.

Thank you, Regina, Emma whispered back to her, her tiny voice like a precious song in the brunette's head, a melody that the witch cherished beyond any she had ever heard.

You are quite welcome, dear. Do you feel better now?

Yes, very much, though I still ache to leave here.

I know, darling. I know, but you must be patient with your parents. Regina hated justifying the actions of those idiotic monarchs to the girl, but she felt that instilling a sense of hatred in the princess for her own parents would be a most selfish act, and she refused to ever be selfish with Emma if she could help it. Besides, as much as she despised Snow White, she was certain the raven-haired woman truly loved her daughter more than anything, which garnered respect from the witch as Regina's own mother had been an unusually cruel and quite literally heartless parent whom the brunette would never wish upon any child.

I have no patience left, Regina, Emma answered, and Regina could sense the girl's frustration beginning to grow again, a dull throb already reigniting within her brain. I cannot spend another day trapped here. I will not survive it. The girl did have quite the talent for drama, Regina thought, which made her wonder if she had imparted that, too, upon the princess so long ago. She sighed, preventing herself from chuckling at the thought as she knew Emma would either hear it or sense it and become frustrated with her as well.

Emma…

No! I will not be calmed! What sorts of parents lock away their only child even as a means of protection? I am no one's property, Regina, and I refuse to be treated as such! Regina groaned as she realized that her princess was on the verge of another hours-long tirade about her parents' behavior, and while she agreed with the girl, she also loathed hearing the rants as they only ever led to Emma breaking down in tears which crushed Regina's soul over and over and over.

Emma…She said the girl's name again, hoping to break the blonde's concentration from her rant and focus on calming herself once more. Unfortunately, she had no such luck.

I need out of here, Regina! I need out of here NOW!

Emma, sweetheart, where would you even go were you to be freed from your chambers? You would still be confined to the castle and your parents would never allow you to visit with me. So, you see? All of this anger is fruitless and is only hurting you…and me.

But I want to be with you, Regina. I need to see you. Regina melted like wax held to a flame. She, too, had been itching to see the princess, especially since discovering the truth of their connection. It seemed that with every passing day, the magic of their connection grew stronger and more powerful. She ached for the girl to be at her side once more so that she could see that she was safe, that she was comforted, that she was happy.

I need to see you now! Emma repeated, her voice rising to a high-pitched whine. Then, Regina shared Emma's sudden vision as the image of herself spilled into the princess's mind with surprising detail and clarity. NOW! Emma shouted again, the sound echoing in Regina's brain like a blaring trumpet and the witch immediately felt a tug in from deep within her and not but seconds later, the blonde princess appeared before her dungeon cell in a cloud of Regina's signature swirling purple smoke.

Regina, though surprised by the girl's sudden appearance, did not spare a second for thought. She immediately ran to the cell bars and dropped to her knees as the blonde child launched her body against the iron bars, throwing her tiny arms through the open spaces to latch onto her witch. Regina wrapped her arms tightly around the girl as a ragged sob wrenched from her own throat. She was unable to keep her emotions at bay as she planted several small kisses in the child's golden hair and a steady stream of tears poured gratefully from her chocolate eyes, overjoyed at seeing the girl who not only was her truest friend but quite literally her other half.

"I missed you," Emma whispered against Regina's neck, her voice cracking with her own tears of happiness. She had finally managed to escape, to see her witch again.

"I missed you as well, my darling," Regina answered her. They stayed like that for a long time, simply holding one another and reveling in the comfort of being reunited with their other halves before Regina feared that the bars of her prison cell might soon become quite uncomfortable or even painful for the princess now pressed flush against them. She pulled back and cupped a gentle hand around the child's soft and tender cheek, both of them smiling sweetly at the other.

"I did magic," Emma whispered to her, a most adorable smile stretching her lips as she practically giggled with glee at her accomplishment. Regina melted all over again at the sight. Her princess was impossibly charming. She knew she would never be able to deny the girl anything that was within her power to provide. She reached forward through the bars once more and tickled the child's sides playfully as she praised her.

"You did!" Regina said, sharing the girl's excitement. "You performed perfectly, sweetheart, and with no training or help from anyone. I am quite proud of you, dear." And she was. She was undeniably gushing with pride in her princess's abilities, even if the girl was using Regina's magic, having never tapped into whatever magic she, herself, might contain. She no longer feared the effect of the magic on Emma now that she knew the truth of the connection they shared. Emma's purity and innocence fluttered through the magic, adorning it with the sweetest, most delicate scent, only proving that she had not and would not be corrupted, and Regina would certainly be with her every step of the way to guide her wherever needed, whether it be telepathically or in person, though she knew the latter would be rare, if ever, given Snow White's desire to keep the two of them separated.

Emma beamed like a brilliant star in the night sky as Regina praised her. She had never felt so treasured in all her life as when her witch claimed pride in her abilities, even with her parents who had constantly praised her throughout the years. Everything with Regina was amplified. Everything was louder, brighter, softer, harder, sweeter…everything was just so much more with the witch; it was overwhelming.

"Emma?" Regina questioned, sudden realization washing over the brunette. "How is it you have come to be here? I thought your mother had Blue cast a spell to prevent magic from happening indefinitely within your chambers."

As soon as the words left Regina's mouth, the reality of the situation sunk into Emma's heart like a jagged knife. She surprisingly put the pieces together before Regina was able to, a devastating fury filling the girl's small body as her own realization manifested. Her mother had lied.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen: How History Repeats

Golden curls bounced and flew wildly as the young Princess Emma burst into the throne room amidst the mass of the kingdom's subjects speaking their various concerns and requests to the reigning king and queen as was weekly procedure. Every head in the crowd snapped in the young blonde's direction, all immediately dropping into graceful bows before their princess as they parted and cleared a path for her to her parents who sat dumbfounded in their thrones as they finally saw what had caused the distraction. Their blonde daughter stood like a tiny, regal statue in the open doorway of the throne room, hands perched smartly upon her hips making her appear more as a miniature Regina rather than Snow White. Even as a child, her presence in such posture and in such an obvious state of anger was rather intimidating. Snow gulped audibly as her daughter's gaze locked with hers and projected all the fury harbored silently within. This would not end well.

Emma nodded curtly to the subjects though she could not bring herself to smile, not in her present emotional state. She could hear Regina in her head pleading with her to calm down, but she only saw red. She swiftly made her way toward her parents, her arms swinging viciously at her sides. As soon as she reached the dais, she wasted no time in quickly climbing the several steps to her mother's throne, stopping just in front of the woman whose honesty and consideration of her she had always cherished, and as such, now felt truly betrayed.

Snow instantly leaned forward to whisper to her daughter so as to prevent their many subjects from witnessing what was sure to be an epic argument; however, the second she leaned forward, Emma was right in her face, her tiny nose nearly brushing the queen's and the glare in her emerald eyes was one Snow had never seen adorning her sweet child's face. It frightened her, but more than that, it buried the queen in her own shame. She knew exactly the cause of Emma's anger, seeing as how if the princess were standing before her now, it meant she had discovered that she was in fact able to perform magic while confined in her chambers and had done so.

"You lied to me," the child growled through gritted teeth, a sound that sent a shiver down her mother's spine. King James immediately stood to dismiss the subjects from the throne room, ordering the guards to usher them all out with the monarchs' apologies for early conclusion. James then turned swiftly to his daughter, placing a strong hand on her shoulder to pull her from her mother's personal space.

"Emma, you will not speak to your mother in such a way," he ordered, his tone serious and commanding, though the princess was not shaken. She shrugged away his hand and turned quickly on her father.

"Do not touch me!" She barked at him, and he nearly jumped with surprise, taken aback at not only his daughter's deliberate disobedience as she had always been such a respectful child, but at the tone of voice she had taken with him. He had never seen her so upset, so infuriated. It sent a jolt of pain through his heart knowing he and his wife had been the cause of their precious princess's hurt feelings, though they truly believed they had been only protecting her.

"Emma, please," Snow pleaded with her daughter. "Try and see reason. We were only trying to protect you."

"By lying to me?" Emma practically shouted, her anger only growing upon hearing her mother's repetitive excuse of which she had grown exhaustingly weary. "By locking me within my chambers as a common criminal?" Snow's eyes welled with tears at hearing her beloved daughter's perspective of what they had done to her. Had they truly made her feel as such? Knowing as much infinitely shattered the White Queen's heart and she yearned to comfort her daughter, to explain, to comfort herself, but she feared nothing would work this time.

"My love, you must be protected from the Evil Queen at all costs," Snow tried to reason with the child again. "She has manipulated you, Emma. You do not know her as your father and I do."

Emma shook her head furiously in answer. "She has been nothing but honest with me, Mother! It is you who has manipulated me. You have given me lies where Regina has given me truth!"

"Your mother was protecting you!" James shouted, his anger rising as he witnessed the heartbreak spill across his wife's beautiful features. His voice echoed like a god's in the throne room, and still Emma did not back down. "Regina is evil! Even now, she has managed to turn you against your own mother! See reason, Emma, we beg of you."

"No, Father," Emma answered him. "It is my mother who has turned me against herself and you. You have betrayed my trust and not for the first time. I may be a child, but I do not like to be lied to."

"Emma, I am so sorry," Snow cried, tears streaming fast and slick down her fair cheeks, "but I have to protect you from Regina. As much as I would love to believe she can once again be the woman she was when I was a child, I do not trust that she can or will. We have given her so many chances to change and time and time again, she refused."

"She will," the princess countered, "for me. She is, for me. You cannot keep me from Regina, Mother. Do not even try. Regina is mine." And with that, the Princess marched swiftly from the throne room, leaving her parents shocked and silent in her wake, and made her way to the dungeons. Once she reached the entrance to the forbidden corridor, she did not even bother trying to sneak past the guards, but rather she simply pushed past them, verbally daring them to try and physically prevent her from entering and thus, having to face her parents' wrath or Regina's were they to accidentally harm her in the process. She received no further argument and made her way down to her other half, desperately seeking the witch's comfort for her furiously aching heart.

You cannot keep me from Regina, Mother. Do not even try. Regina is mine. Regina had heard every word of those final three sentences loud and clear from her cot in the dungeon as it seemed Emma had deliberately voiced them inside her mind as she had spoken them aloud, wanting the witch to hear. The princess's fierce resolve in speaking the words had slammed into Regina's chest with a force that nearly knocked the breath from her, shocking and yet warming her like nothing ever had. No one had ever wanted her, loved her so deeply and without judgment as the young princess had; no one except Daniel, and even he had only known her in a time before she became the Evil Queen. She wondered if even he would have been able to see past her many wicked deeds were he still breathing, though she believed in her heart that he would not have. She somehow knew that only Emma, her destined Soul Mate, could ever cherish her and love her so devoutly despite knowing everything she had once been and done, and Regina had never been more grateful in her thirty-six years than she was for the princess who had blown through her heart like a powerful storm and changed her from the inside out.

Regina could also not help but smirk at Emma's words as the princess verbally put her own mother, the witch's nemesis, in her place. That's my girl, Regina thought, though as much of a guilty pleasure as it was, she could not help but fear the coming repercussions and consequences of Emma's actions this day. Snow and James would surely not stand for such insolence, especially knowing their daughter's voiced intentions of continuing to see the woman they both considered a villain. She feared what would become of her, not because she worried for herself, but because she worried for what it would do to Emma were she to be harmed or taken from the girl indefinitely.

Several hours later, Snow White made her way swiftly down to the dungeons where she knew she would find her daughter paying visit to her former step-mother. It had grown quite late as the reigning queen had stirred into action after the unfortunate scene in the throne room and had spent the last many hours preparing for this moment. The tiny vial tucked tightly in her hands shook as Snow's nerves quaked through her body, though her resolve did not waver. She feared her daughter's reaction to what she was about to do, but she could not risk losing her beloved child to the woman who had made her life utter hell for so long, and she hoped with every fiber of her being that Emma would come to forgive her in time, eventually seeing reason, eventually understanding as she came of age.

Just as when she had summoned Rumplestiltskin, Snow had felt nothing but dread hours earlier when she had used the last remaining enchanted mirror from Regina's former castle to contact another legendary evil witch, Maleficent. The other enchanted mirrors had been shattered and destroyed shortly after Regina's capture on the reigning queen's command just as she had long ago hidden all of the mirrors in the White castle within a single room in the East Wing to prevent her former step-mother from spying. She had kept the one small mirror though, knowing she might one day have need of magic possessed by the genie trapped within.

To say Maleficent had been surprised by being contacted by the pure Snow White would be a grand understatement. The blonde witch of the Forbidden Fortress had been completely and utterly shocked, though she grew absolutely giddy upon hearing the White Queen's request. Snow had feared Maleficent would be unwilling to help her given the fact that the woman had once been relatively dear friends with the Evil Queen, but it seemed the witch held much resentment over a tiff she had had with Regina in which the brunette witch shattered the blonde's precious magical scepter to steal back the Dark Curse she had previously traded to Maleficent fair and square, daring to even use magic on the blonde witch within her own castle. It had undeniably infuriated the witch and she jumped at the chance to enact her revenge, even if it meant being momentarily in league with the sickeningly good Snow White.

Thus, Maleficent provided Snow with the cursed potion she requested, opening a small portal in the mirror and passing through the vial filled to the brim with a brilliantly teal liquid, an exact replica of the Evil Queen's own preferred and beloved sleeping curse. Oh, the irony, Maleficent thought gleefully, happy to accept only a small amount of gold in payment from the White Queen as her revenge had been nearly payment enough for her services.

The reigning queen rounded the bend of the dungeon, her daughter and Regina coming swiftly into view as they both sat upon the cold and damp dungeon floor, holding hands through the slim cracks between the jagged iron bars of Regina's cell and speaking with one another quietly. She noticed the stunningly beautiful smile that painted the witch's face and realized that she had not seen the woman smile so since Snow herself was a young girl. It made her heart ache even more in her chest for what she was about to do, but she could not back out now. She must go through with this, for Emma. She must protect her daughter no matter the cost.

Regina's smile quickly melted away as her nemesis came quickly into view, her forest eyes so like Emma's glaring into her. Emma, seeing Regina's suddenly stiffened posture and frown turned to find her mother standing only feet away, watching the two of them. The young girl rose quickly to her feet, placing herself in front of where Regina now stood, having copied the girl's actions. Regina smiled internally at Emma's obvious show of protection, though she knew it would not stop the princess's mother from having her way, and she wondered what exactly Snow might have in mind. She had yet to notice the small vial in the queen's hands.

"Emma, may I have a word with Regina alone, please?" Snow asked, softening her voice as she spoke to the daughter she cherished above all, though her gaze never strayed from her nemesis.

Emma raised her chin defiantly and answered her mother. "You may not." Regina smiled internally again. Her princess could so easily reduce her to a puddle of mush, which did not do well for Regina's powerful reputation, though she found she simply no longer cared. She reached forward through the bars and placed a soft hand atop the child's shoulder while allowing the other to stroke sweetly through her golden locks. Emma leaned into the touch though she did not look away from her mother who bristled where she stood, furious at the show of affection. Emma was hers, not Regina's.

Emma, Regina whispered softly in the princess's mind. I will be fine. Go ahead and go now and let me speak with your mother. All will be fine, love. 

I do not trust her with you, the child answered, glaring at her mother as she spoke silently with her beloved witch.

I know, darling, but she is still your mother as well as the queen. Trust in me, love. We shall do as she says for now. Go on, Emma. I will speak with you soon. 

"Fine," Emma sighed aloud, answering Regina vocally, which surprised both the witch and the reigning queen. The princess turned quickly to Regina and added, "but I will not be far."

"Very well, dear," Regina conceded, affectionately tapping Emma's button nose and smiling sweetly at her before saying, "Go now as I said, love." With that, Emma turned on the spot, shooting a glare at her mother before heading away from her Soul Mate's cell. As soon as she rounded the bend at the end of the passage, she came face to face with her father and the blue fairy, both waiting silently, hidden from view, though Emma suspected her mother knew of their presence and perhaps had even planned it. She immediately regretted leaving Regina's side, but just as she turned to run back to the witch, her father leapt forward and latched onto the blonde, pulling her back against him and holding her firmly in place with a hand clamped tightly over her mouth. He hated himself for doing this to his daughter, but he did his best to remind himself of Snow's words and of the potential danger Regina's presence in Emma's life might bring. This was for her own protection, he told himself, and he hoped wholeheartedly that what they were doing was truly as justified as they believed.

"Snow," Regina acknowledged the woman she still blamed for ruining her life, though when she thought about it now, she realized she honestly had reason to thank the queen for providing her with a true reason for living—Emma. She, of course, would never admit this aloud to the raven-haired picture of purity everyone believed her to be, including Snow herself.

"What did you mean just now, Regina? You told Emma, 'Go now as I said', yet I heard you say nothing. What did you mean?" Snow questioned her, momentarily distracted from her mission by her curiosity of the interaction between Regina and her daughter.

Regina sighed and wondered whether or not she should lie to the queen, but then, what good would that do her. In fact, she thought that perhaps, knowing the truth, Snow might soften her infuriatingly strong resolve and perhaps see reason. She hoped that the queen would realize that she meant Emma no ill will or harm; that she would, quite contrarily, protect the girl with all the power she possessed, even if it cost her, her life. So, she took a deep breath and against her better judgment, she took a chance on Snow White for the second time in her life, sharing the secret with the raven-haired princess turned queen.

Regina told Snow everything, all that she had learned from Rumplestiltskin and the Tome of Reverence and all that she had concluded on her own about her first encounter with Emma as an infant and Emma's vast maturity. She shared the truth about her ability to communicate telepathically with the queen's daughter and that that was what she had meant when speaking to the princess earlier. She did her best to explain what she had come to understand of Transference and how it had occurred between her and Emma. She even spilled about the many visits they had shared over the last two years until she had exhausted all the knowledge that had remained a secret formerly known by only the fallen queen and the young princess, and she hoped that Snow would not, as she once had, make her regret sharing this with her former step-daughter.

Snow stood utterly speechless for a long time after hearing Regina confess all that she had kept hidden with the princess and all the two of them shared. The reigning queen simply could not wrap her mind around the knowledge. So instead, she selfishly denied it despite the sincerity in Regina's gaze and voice. She simply could not bear the thought of sharing her daughter with the witch, and thus convinced herself to follow through with her plan, telling herself just as James had done over and over that it was to protect their precious daughter. The newly shared knowledge of their connection only fueled her resolve. She was about to prove that Regina's hope and faith in her was once again foolish and misguided.

Snow White raised the small vial so that it shone in the torch light, becoming visible to Regina, who gasped before narrowing her eyes into a glare. "I am sorry for this, Regina, but I have no other choice. I cannot allow you to take my daughter. I cannot trust that you will not harm her or use her to exact your revenge upon me. I must protect her from you, from all of this."

Regina stared at the teal licked sloshing inside the vial. She would recognize her own magic anywhere, and cursed Maleficent from her prison cell as the blonde witch was the only other she had ever shared the recipe of her curse with. "You would dare use my own sleeping curse on me? You would do this to your own daughter?"

"She will come to understand in time," Snow said confidently, though her stomach churned uneasily at the thought that Emma might never truly understand.

You would dare use my own sleeping curse on me? Emma heard Regina's words echo from around the bend and panic shot through her like a bolt of lightning. Without thought, she slammed her tiny elbow hard and fast into her father's groin causing him to stumble back, losing his grip on her long enough for her bolt around the bend and sprint toward Regina's cell, shouting as she went.

"NO!" Snow turned to see her daughter frantic and yelling, her golden hair flying wildly behind her as she rushed forward. "Do not do this, Mother, please! I beg you!" Both Snow's and Regina's chests clenched painfully upon hearing the clear pain and suffering of Emma's pleading voice. Tears rose unbidden to Emma's eyes, spilling from emerald fiercely as she continued to plead with her mother.

"I am so sorry for this, Emma, but it is for your own good," Snow told her calmly, though she could not help the few tears that slipped from her own eyes.

"Do not patronize her, Snow," Regina spat at the queen from behind her cell bars. "If you wish to punish me, then do so, but do not pretend that this is for anything but your own selfish desire to rid yourself and your daughter of my presence." Snow simply shook her head, though part of her could not help but feel the bits of truth in Regina's statement, which only made her shame grow more and her chest clench painfully again.

Charming strode quickly around the bend with the blue fairy hovering in his wake. "I am sorry Snow. She managed to escape my grasp." He quickly wrapped his arms around his daughter once more as his wife shared a saddened look with him and nodded. He turned to Blue and whispered, "Now!"

Blue flew forward waving her wand and the iron bars that had held Regina for over a decade magically shrunk away into the ceiling, walls, and floor of the dungeon. She immediately flourished her wand again, and a blue aura engulfed Regina, freezing her in place, though she, unfazed, continued to only glare at Snow White. The blue fairy, uncomfortable with the situation as she was given her warning from Fate just two years prior, comforted herself by reminding herself that she was merely assisting in preventing the fallen queen from performing harmful magic once released from the prison as she had taken no part in Snow's choice and actions to place Regina within the sleeping curse. She, herself, as much as she despised Regina, did not approve of Snow's choice as she knew and respected the power and magic of destined Soul Mates and had heard every word the Dark Queen had uttered to Snow of the connection; however, she would not allow Regina to harm Snow or Charming, though she truthfully believed the brunette witch would not harm the princess.

Snow stepped forward, uncorking the vial as she did so, the scent of apples filling the air. She did her best to drown out her daughter's screams from the King's arms. Tears streamed down Snow's cheeks as she wrapped a fair hand around Regina's chin. She truly was sorry for what she was about to do, but for some reason, she simply could not stop herself. So, she simply continued the mantra in her head that this was only for her daughter, only for Emma's protection, though she wondered if she would ever believe it again once this was done, once Emma's anger tore her further from her mother's grasp. She shook her head to clear the thoughts from her mind and looked into Regina's chocolate eyes as she pulled upon the fallen queen's frozen jaw to open her mouth just enough to slip the edge of the vial's opening between supple lips.

Regina called out to Emma telepathically as she felt and tasted the teal liquid spill into her mouth. Emma, calm your heart. Do not be frightened, my darling. As the cursed potion slipped down her throat, Regina could already feel its effects, and so she uttered her final words to her beloved princess, though she could not believe the very words she had so long despised were about to escape her. We will find each other, again, Emma. This, I promise you, and please, dear, know that I love you. 

And with that, Regina was gone, slipping into the unconscious realm of the sleeping curse she had designed so many years ago. Blue, leaking tears of her own, waved her wand to free the cursed brunette of her spell and watched as Regina's limp body fell heavily into Snow White's waiting arms, Emma screaming from her father's arms all the while.

Snow White had Regina's sleeping body sealed within the glass coffin that had once held her after eating the fallen queen's cursed apple to save her Prince Charming. She ordered her friends, the dwarves, to take the witch away, sealing her in a hidden location known only by the King, herself, and the dwarves, hopefully never to be found again.

Now in the throne room once more, Snow turned to face her daughter who had screamed until her voice had practically given out and was still struggling against her father's grasp. Once the fallen queen had been taken from the castle, James finally let go of the blonde child, who leapt away from him, her emerald eyes flashing furiously behind a glossy sheen, her fair cheeks so like her mother's tracked and marred by her endless tears. When she calmed herself enough to speak, her voice came out in a ragged and cracked whisper, though her tone was resolute.

"How could you have done this to her, Mother? To me?"

"Emma, I know you are angry, but with time—" Snow tried with her daughter once more, but was cut off by the princess's voice again.

"No, I will never see reason in this, Mother," the blonde told her. "All my life, I have listened to you preach of the beauty and wonder of True Love, and yet, you deny me mine."

Snow was taken aback at this. "But Emma, you are but a child, and Regina…"

"But I shall not always be, Mother. I may not be of age, but I will be one day, and Regina is my future, whether you of approve of the fact or not. You have taken my future from me. There is no greater betrayal. You and Father, everyone in our Kingdom, you all speak of Regina's evils, and yet you lower yourselves to lies and cruelty and even dark magic to punish her. Tell me, Mother, how that makes any of you better than she? People are not simply black or white. There are shades of gray that cannot and should not be overlooked."

Both Snow and James bowed their heads in shame, the truth of their daughter's words and her ever-shocking maturity stinging them like nothing ever had.

"I will never forgive you for this," Emma spoke, and before either of her parents could reply, she closed her eyes and disappeared in a cloud of swirling purple smoke, envisioning the woods and traveling as far from the castle as she could manage.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen: A Cloaked Companion

Her hands were steady, her breathing even and relaxed. She perched, perfectly balanced, upon the thick branch of a massive oak, pressed securely against its firm trunk. Her eyes, so like the forest surrounding her and hidden well within the hood of her cloak, glittered a brilliant green in the twinkling sunlight just barely peeking through the canopy overhead as she zeroed in on her target. The beast remained blessedly and foolishly unaware of her presence, of her intentions. She pulled silently back on the string of her bow as she positioned a steady arrow in place, her cheek pressed to her fingers now wrapped firmly around her weapon. She tracked her target with the arrow's sharpened point, watching as the great deer peeked around the trunk of a tree in the distance. She closed her eyes for only a moment, a routine she had long ago developed, and breathed a silent sigh before refocusing her sights on the beast and releasing her arrow. It soared, whistling through the narrow space between the trees of the forest and implanted in the animal's side. Emma's fair face stretched with a brilliant smile as she jumped from her position in the oak, the long tan cape of her cloak soaring in her wake.

Emma crept through the woods, always alert, as she made her way to where her latest kill had fallen. Her worn brown leather boots crunched into fallen leaves though they never made much sound. She had long ago become quite adept at being silent and remaining well hidden, always sure to keep her steps light and fast and never lingering in one place too long. Just as she was about to reach the fallen deer, a loud snap sounded to her right, echoing loudly through the woods. She quickly spun to her right in a low crouch, throwing her bow over her shoulder to rest atop her quiver and reaching, instead, for the sheathed sword hanging from her right hip. She gripped the handle and slowly pulled the sword from its sheath, scanning the area diligently for any sign of danger, and that was when she heard it—a great and echoing howl.

Before the sixteen-year-old blonde even had time to react to the sound, she was surrounded, a pack of massive wolves, gray and black, creeping from the shadows of the trees, encircling her. She turned in a slow circle to take in her predicament, noting how the wolves crouched and growled low in their throats, a clear threat, a warning. She slowly slid her sword back into her sheath and cautiously raised her gloved hands, open-palmed, as she spoke softly to the wolves, focusing on the largest of the beasts, a vicious-looking animal, black as night and closer to her than all the others—it was clear he was the pack leader. Emma bowed her head gently, bending forward in a show of respect to the wolves, though she had only been in this forest for a few weeks and was unfamiliar with the beasts as they were unfamiliar with her.

"I mean you and your pack no harm," she told the wolf, and she certainly meant it. She had never nor would she ever hunt or harm wolves. She respected the beasts more than most animals for obvious personal reasons, but also, for their pure grace, agility, and ability to communicate intelligently with other creatures and humans alike. They were truly magnificent creatures.

The pack leader only growled deeper and louder, untrusting of the hunter before him despite her show of respect. Many of his pack and much of his own family had been fooled by humans before and had thus lost their lives or their cubs for nothing more than their hides. The rest of the pack followed their leader's actions, growling and zeroing in on the hunter they had never before seen.

"Please, I will not harm you. I am a friend of the wolves," Emma tried again, hoping she could get through to the pack leader before they attacked her. She could simply use magic and teleport away from the threat of harm, but she could not afford to leave her kill behind, nor did she want to show the wolves that she was magical as she knew many animals were even quicker to distrust humans who were magical than those who were not as they saw them as a greater threat than a mere man or woman with a sword. The wolves kept coming though, and now they were well within ten feet of her. They were not going to back down. They simply did not trust her, which she could certainly understand as she was a stranger to these parts, but her understanding would not help her now. The leader howled and snapped his ferociously long and sharp teeth at her, and she knew there was no hope of talking her way out of this, so she did the only thing she knew to do in the moment. She swiftly raised a hand to her chest, grabbing the thick, crimson, glass figurine of the wolf that had hung around her neck since she was a small child, and whispered, "Red," while simultaneously whipping her sword from its sheath.

A loud pop echoed instantly through the woods, startling the wolves, the beasts retreating, though only a step or two. A tall, stunningly beautiful brunette in a crimson cloak appeared suddenly at Emma's side, her narrowed eyes quickly scanning the circle of wolves, all of them watching her curiously, though many growling even louder now than before, sensing a new, even greater threat. The brunette growled low and deep in her throat, and even in her human form, the sound was purely animalistic, sending a shiver down Emma's spine as she stood by her godmother's side. In one swift movement, Red flicked a hand to her throat and unlatched her cloak, the red material floating from her back, but the blonde captured it just before it hit the ground and wrapped it protectively in her arms, knowing how precious and vital the article was to her godmother.

Red lowered her lithe form quickly into a crouch. She could not turn as it was not yet the time of the full moon, though she still had access to many of her wolf abilities even in her human form. She locked gazes with the pack leader and the wolf watched as the woman's eyes changed color, glowing a brilliant amber. The pack leader studied her only a moment before moving a heavy paw forward to dip into a bow before howling loudly and retreating back into the shadows of the woods, his pack following.

Red watched them go before turning swiftly to her goddaughter, her amber eyes locking with emerald before they faded slowly back to their natural color, a warm cocoa. "Are you alright, Emma?" She asked, worry etching her voice as she placed a soft hand to the blonde's cheek. Emma sheathed her sword and placed a reassuring hand atop her godmother's upon her cheek and nodded.

"Yes, Red, thank you," the blonde said with a sweet smile. "I am sorry I had to call you, but I feared, as you taught me, that I would only startle the wolves more were I to use magic, and then I would no longer be able to hunt in these woods. They would not trust me. I feared they would attack."

"Emma, do not apologize," Red told her as she pulled the teen into a tight embrace, her heart finally settling into a calm rhythm once more. Nothing ever quite scared the brunette as deeply and fiercely as the thought of her goddaughter being harmed or in danger. "I will always protect you, you know this. You can call me any time, and I will always come, love. This, I promise you." Emma nodded against Red's neck, comforted by the woman's presence and embrace as she had always been.

After a long moment, they both pulled back from the embrace. Emma held her godmother's cloak out to the woman and the brunette donned it once more, pulling the hood swiftly up to settled atop her soft locks. "Shall we head home now?" Red asked kindly.

"Yes, but first, follow me," Emma told her, a smile blooming on her face once more. They walked only a few steps further to where the blonde had left her kill, and Red gasped. "Emma! This is fantastic!" the brunette exclaimed, pride blooming in her chest for her goddaughter's skills. "I have not seen a deer in these woods since we have been here, only small game. This should certainly last us a while."

Emma smiled brightly, pleased with her godmother's praise as she bent and slowly pulled her arrow from the fallen deer's lifeless body before both women placed a soft hand atop the beast's tan fur and whispered their gratitude for its sacrifice. Emma then laced the fingers of her left hand through Red's and placed her right hand atop the deer. Purple smoke billowed and swirled around them, and in a flash, they appeared before the worn and crooked door of a small, wooden cabin tucked tightly within a cluster of trees deep in the forest. Home.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty: The Way We Grow

Emma sat before the roaring fire in the small, shabby, yet comfortable cabin she shared with her godmother. They had only been in this kingdom a few weeks, coming now upon a month's time, yet they had made quite the home of the abandoned cabin they had stumbled upon in the deep woods of these lands. Emma knew not how long they would stay, though. They had been teleporting from land to land for many years now, never staying in one place too long so as to avoid being tracked and found. They only ever entered the lands of the White Kingdom in the dead of night, often as frequently as once a week to scour the kingdom for any trace of where the fallen Dark Queen, Regina, had long ago been hidden, bound to the realm of the unconscious by a sleeping curse. They never stopped searching.

Six long years had passed since the day a young Princess Emma had watched as the body of her beautiful Soul Mate, her dearest friend and future lover, had fallen limply into the arms of the White Queen, Emma's mother, who had turned to dark magic out of a selfish need to keep the two eternally apart. Emma had used her love's magic to escape into the woods that fateful day and had never since returned to her palace or to her parents who had never stopped searching for her. Nearly every village she visited, she would take note of the many posters that decorated the buildings, depicting a sketch of her 10-year-old face beneath a single, large word: MISSING. Now, though, she had less trouble blending in as no one recognized her now that she had grown so. Her parents had certainly offered a handsome reward to any with information that would lead to the discovery of the lost princess or any who could bring the princess back to the palace, but Emma was a clever girl. She had never been discovered, utilizing her keen intelligence and the many stories of her mother's days as an outlaw and bandit to help her survive, though she never had to go it alone.

In first few days following her escape from her parents, Emma had hidden in a hollowed tree, starving and dehydrated from a lack of nourishment and the constant shedding of tears. On the third day, though, she had become desperate, her body in pain and her head fuzzy and aching with the need for water. So, she had placed her hand to the corded necklace around her throat and called for her godmother, hoping the wolf would not force her back to her mother's side.

Red had been shocked to tears upon seeing the state of her goddaughter once summoned to her side. She quickly went for food and water and over the following days, nurtured the tiny princess back to full health within the hollowed hideaway the girl had found. At first, Red had insisted they return to the palace and had pleaded with the blonde to allow her to take her back; however, Emma then informed her godmother of all that had taken place, of her unique and powerful connection to the Dark Queen, and of her mother's deplorable actions, and Red quickly changed her tune. She had been completely and utterly appalled by her best friend's actions, unable to believe the good Snow would stoop as low as to use dark magic to place Regina in a sleeping curse for something neither she nor Emma could control. She certainly understood Snow's concern, though in her mind, that did not justify such blatant disrespect of her daughter's emotions, especially considering the many years Red had listened to and learned from Snow White of the power of True Love and how it should always be respected, always cherished. And yet, she had done all in her power to separate her own daughter from the very person who could one day provide her with such a love.

As such, Red had vowed her loyalty to the princess alone, taking in the girl who quickly grew to so much more than her goddaughter, becoming her child, her pup, who she would protect fiercely from any and all who had or would harm her, including the girl's own mother. For Emma, Red would battle her own best friend to the death, though she prayed to the gods it would never come to that and Snow would come to her senses in the years to come.

Red, herself, had never been a fan of Regina, though she had at least always commended the former Evil Queen for her legendary respect and protection of the wolf kind. Regina had outlawed the hunting and poaching of wolves in her kingdom and employed many werewolves within her own castle staff; for that, Red greatly respected the woman, though that of course did not override the many evil deeds the witch had performed, many of which had been aimed at Snow White, Red's dearest friend. However, Emma had shared many stories with her godmother of the brunette witch that was the blonde's destined Soul Mate, and Red had simply been amazed by the magic of Soul Mates and the depth of the love, affection, and kindness Regina had obviously shown her goddaughter; for that, a part of the wolf had come to love the witch as well. Besides, Red had never been one to judge. She, herself, had killed many people in her wolf form, committed many atrocious and horrible acts, and she certainly understand what it was to have power you could not always control or may not even want to at times. She knew what it was to be seen only as a beast, a monster, with so many unable to see her struggle or the good that thrived within her. She would not wish such pain upon anyone, not even the Evil Queen.

They lived in the wind, Red and Emma, teleporting from land to land, dwelling in small caves or abandoned shacks and cabins when they could find them, and never staying in one place for long. They scavenged and hunted and only entered the villages in hooded cloaks, careful and cautious of who they spoke to and what they said, though they paid keen attention to the gossip of the people, always listening for news of the White Kingdom's search for their princess as well as for the werewolf, Red, who had quickly been sketched into her own missing poster on order, of course, by the White Queen; surely, Snow White had guessed the two were together. Many times, they had been forced to flee immediately as the princess's parents had employed magic to track them and had come close many times in the first few years, but Emma had become rather adept with her magic, training herself well though the knowledge already ran deeply within her thanks to the influence of Regina's soul; thus, the princess seemed to always be a step ahead of her mother, aided by Red's heightened senses, and by the third year of their disappearance, they had become incredibly skilled at evading the monarchs' efforts and advances.

Red taught Emma all she knew of tracking and hunting and helped her develop her skills with sword and bow alike, though it seemed the princess had much of her parents in her when it came to such measures as she took swiftly to the weaponry with ease as if she had been doing it all her young life. In only a short time, Emma had surpassed her mother's own skill with a bow, of which Red had been shocked as she had known Snow White well in her days as an outlaw and had witnessed the woman's cunning and skill firsthand, and the wolf was fiercely proud of her goddaughter. Together, they had become quite the formidable team, fiercely loyal to one another and trusting no other.

Red appeared at Emma's side in front of the fire in their tiny cabin. She dropped to the floor to sit beside her pup whom she had watched grow from a small, brilliantly intelligent child hidden beneath a tangle of heavy, golden curls, into a strong, powerful, stunningly beautiful, and deeply wise young woman. She cherished the girl more than life itself and realized that Emma had eased much of her own loneliness and desire for companionship. Wolves were pack animals, and Red was no different, though with the exception of Granny, she had practically always been on her own without a pack to call family, to call home. As such, Emma had become her home, her only family, and for that, she would always be profoundly grateful.

The brunette handed the teen a small plate of food, which to both of them, appeared more as a feast as they had only been able to find small game in the last few weeks. The plate held a large portion of the deer meat Emma had secured as well as several different types of berries that Red had foraged and stewed vegetables the brunette had stolen from a small farm on the outskirts of the nearest village. Emma thanked her for the offering and dove into the delicious meal alongside her godmother who did the same with her own plate.

"This is wonderful, Emma," Red told her as they devoured their meal. "Your kill was perfect. You have become an even better shot than your mother."

"You are my mother, Red," Emma said simply as if it were the absolute truth, though Red could see the flicker of pain that always briefly painted the blonde's features at the mention of her mother or father before slipping away, "and you are much more skilled than I will ever be." Red's cells buzzed with warmth and love every time Emma referred to her as her mother as Red felt much the same after all this time, though a deep ache remained in her chest for the broken bond that had grown between the teen and the woman who once had been the wolf's best friend, despite the fact that Snow had only herself to blame for it.

"Yes, well, I have the advantage of heightened senses, love," Red laughed. "Had you the senses of a wolf as well, you would certainly surpass my skill in no time." Emma smiled brightly at that. It was true she was quite skilled, though Red was unlike anyone she had ever seen. She was so much wrapped in one woman—powerful, graceful, agile, keenly aware, extremely intelligent and perceptive, and skilled both with and without the assist of weaponry. Emma was constantly in awe of her, and knew that though her own skills were strong, without her magic to aid her, she could have easily fallen to her death many times given the various dangerous predicaments they had often found themselves in over the years whether it be facing beasts or magical creatures or even rugged terrain. Her magic, Regina's magic, had saved her life many times and even Red's life a few times as well. Her magic made her a force to be reckoned with, a powerful force.

"I would love to be a wolf," Emma claimed, setting a beautiful smile upon her godmother's face. Red had always been so humbled and touched by Emma's love of her wolf; the blonde had never seen her as a monster, but rather, the princess had even envied her nature. "Then I could run with you in the forest during Wolf's Time."

"I wish you could run with me as well, Emma," Red said softly. "You would so love it, the freedom, the power. There is truly nothing like it in the world."

"That is how I feel when I use magic, free and powerful," Emma answered, her voice growing low and sad. Red ran a tender hand through her cub's wild, golden hair to comfort her. The princess frequently withdrew when speaking of her magic, though she loved it, as the subject always reminded her of her lost witch and the six years that had passed in which she had failed to find the woman and bring her back. It broke Emma's heart and in turn, broke Red's as well as she could not stand her godchild to suffer so.

"We will find her, Emma," Red whispered, leaning over to plant a soft kiss in the blonde tresses she continued to pet her.

"At times, Red, it seems so hopeless," Emma croaked, tears slipping from her emerald eyes to land atop her now empty plate. "It has been so long and yet, my heart still aches for her so."

"I know, sweetheart, but you must not give up," her godmother, who had become so much more her mother, told her, "and all of this pain and this ache you feel deep within you will fade away, but until then, you must not fight it, Emma."

Red took the empty plate from Emma's lap and placed it away on the floor to her side. She then turned the teen to face her, taking the blonde's hands in her own as she looked into her eyes and whispered softly as the fire burned down to embers before them, "You must embrace the suffering and allow it to teach you, allow it to drive you, drive us, onward. This is the way we grow, my love. This is how we survive."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One: Familiar Faces

Emma hid, crouched behind a vegetable cart stationed far enough from the bustling crowd of the village market that she was able to remain unseen while she watched the scene play out before her. She held her breath as soldiers suited in shining armor that bore the insignia of the White Kingdom shuffled throughout the crowd, questioning the many villagers and travelers while holding up the MISSING poster with her young face sketched upon it. The princess was not surprised by their presence as she knew a small fraction of her parents' army traveled to a new Kingdom each month to visit as many villages as possible in a month's time in search of their beloved missing princess. Surely, the men had grown weary of the constant travel and the fruitless search, but Emma knew her parents would never stop. Despite what they had done, they did so love her; the blonde, however, could not let go of the betrayal, her bond to her cursed Soul Mate stronger than ever despite having been ripped from each other at such a tender time and since unable to communicate, even telepathically. Emma had remained true to the words she had long ago spoken to her mother. She had never forgiven her.

Emma was actually able to hear the conversation of one soldier who had come dangerously close to her hiding place to speak with an elder woman selling herbs just before and to Emma's right.

"Pardon the intrusion, Madam," the soldier spoke respectfully with a nod to the woman. "I seek information on behalf of King James and Queen Snow of the White Kingdom." He held up the poster for the elderly woman who squinted to see the picture more clearly. "We seek the White Princess, Emma, who has long been lost to us, Madam, and the King and Queen fear greatly for her safety and desire her return home. It has been six years' time since our Princess's disappearance, Madam, thus she will have greatly aged, but if you recognize her features or perhaps have heard news of her whereabouts, any information provided will be handsomely rewarded by my King and Queen."

The elderly woman bowed her head in respect to the soldier, but spoke her denial. "I am sorry, good sir, but I have no information to give. My blessings upon your continued search, though, and please, have these for your journey." She handed him a small bundle of herbs and vegetables, which he took gratefully and nodded in return.

"Thank you kindly, Madam. This is very generous of you. Good day to you."

"Good day."

Emma sighed as she watched the soldier retreat back into the bustling crowd of villagers bartering for lower prices or more supplies or arguing over who had seen an item first and thus had rights to it. The market sellers shouted their advertisements to the crowd, calling for attention, persuading buyers for their goods. It was a lively day in the village market, and Emma loved the excitement in the atmosphere. She had hoped to spend a day in the market while Red took to hunting, bartering for goods she and Red could surely use and perhaps even needed, but she knew she could not risk it now, not with her kingdom's men present and searching for her. She may have aged and matured physically over the years, but her bright, golden locks and shining, emerald eyes remained the same and would be easily recognized by the White Kingdom's soldiers who had known her as a child and would surely place her features as those of the princess or even those of her mother. No, she certainly could not risk it. So, she turned swiftly to retreat from the market, but as she whipped around, she collided heavily into a body she had not known was there.

Both the princess and the person she had collided with tumbled to the ground, causing the hood of Emma's cloak to slip from her head, exposing her to the person lying opposite her upon the ground. Emma rubbed her forehead where it had smacked into the other person's, before a heavy gasp sounded across from her followed by a familiar voice speaking words she had not heard directed at her in just over six full years.

"Your Highness?"

Emma's stomach bottomed out upon hearing her old title and her emerald eyes instantly flashed to the person sitting just across from her. She let out a loud gasp of her own as she took in the petite woman's familiar brown locks and soft features, and though she had never seen the woman in such a form, the princess would recognize her anywhere.

"Blue?" The full-figured woman that was surely Blue, the fairy Emma had once known so well, clapped a hand to her hanging jaw, covering her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at the blonde.

"Oh gods, Emma, it is you!" she exclaimed happily, but Emma did not share her joy. Though the blonde certainly had questions, primarily how the once twinkling, wing-backed fairy the size of Emma's fist was suddenly standing before her as simply a wingless woman of nearly five and a half feet with a full figure, the princess had no thought for her curiosity. She panicked, glancing quickly around to ensure their collision and the brunette's shout of her title had not been overheard by the soldiers of her mother's kingdom. She then shot to her feet and without a second glance at the woman from her past, Emma sprinted from the market as fast as her feet would carry her.

As Emma ran through the trees of the woods just bordering the village, she could hear the loud and bumbling pace of the brunette behind her and she cursed Blue for pursuing her. She needed to get away, get back to Red so that they could teleport to a new home far from this place where she had finally been recognized, though she could not perform magic and teleport until she was far enough away from the village that no magical trackers that might be traveling with her mother's army would be able to sense her magic and follow, alerted to her presence. Perhaps even Blue herself still had magic; this new form of hers could merely be a disguise, Emma thought. She herself could be the magical tracker. This only spurred the princess to further the speed of her sprint.

"Emma, wait!" the brunette called from behind, but the princess did not slow. She did not trust the woman, even if she did want to know how exactly she had come to be a human woman in the first place. "Emma, please! I mean you no harm." Blue sounded breathless as she shouted. Good, Emma thought, hoping the woman would tire of the chase and soon give it up, allowing the princess to escape. Finally, though, Blue shouted words Emma had not expected to hear which brought her sprinting escape to an abrupt halt. "Emma, I…have…no magic!" she exclaimed, her breathing ragged and separating her words. "I will not…inform the…soldiers…of your presence."

The blonde spun quickly on the spot as the brunette sobbed a cry of relief and bent to catch her breath. Emma stood like a statue of power and authority, the air around her thickening and her authoritative posture speaking volumes of how she had grown in the past six years. She narrowed her gaze on the struggling woman and flicked her wrist at her side. A churning fireball appeared in her right hand and Emma held it at the ready, her gaze never straying from the brunette. Blue was shocked to see such a display of power and thought momentarily that the princess she had not seen in over the greater part of a decade looked so like the woman they had long ago forced into a sleeping curse. Though she looked so like her mother, in this moment, Emma appeared every bit as the Evil Queen.

"Do not lie to me, Blue," Emma spoke solemnly, her voice a commanding power all its own, "and do not test me. You have no idea of what I am capable." Blue gulped audibly, a tingling shiver sprinting down her spine, and she lifted her hands, palms up and opened in a sign of surrender to the princess, her eyes fixated on the ball of fire in Emma's right hand that burned as brightly as the emerald fire in the teen's shining eyes.

"I speak no lies, Your Highness," Blue told her, standing only twenty feet or so from the blonde, and having regulated her breathing once more. Emma narrowed her eyes, untrusting of the woman's words. "I have no magic as I have said. Have you not yet wondered how I came to be this way?" The brunette flourished a hand to indicate her feminine and very much human figure.

"How am I to know this is naught but a disguise?" Emma questioned her, never quenching the flame she still held at the ready. She would not be easily fooled nor would she easily drop her guard. It had been firmly in place for six years, only slipping away in her precious moments with her godmother.

"Even as a fairy, Emma, I had not the power to change form," Blue said, and her voice cracked slightly as she thought of her previous life that now seemed so long ago, surreal as if it had all happened within a dream. "Your Highness, I...I am Fae no longer."

Emma felt a sudden pang of sympathy stir in her chest for the woman who had once spent her life as a fairy, granting wishes and guiding young charges, and had now obviously been stripped of such an existence. The brunette's eyes seemed so sad, so lost as she spoke of her predicament, and the princess had learned, herself, of the heartache of missing such a vital part of yourself as she had now been without her other half for six long years. Emma quickly forced away the sympathy though, as she remembered the part her former fairy godmother had played in the tragic event that had led to Emma's own pain as well as her life as a refugee. A significant part of her believed the woman quite deserved this however it had come to be.

The golden-haired princess finally relented, though, and squeezed her fist, quenching the fireball into a puff of lingering smoke and then it was gone. "How has this come to be?" she asked.

"I have been human since the first moon following your flight from the White Kingdom," Blue answered her sadly. "This was my punishment for assisting your mother in her attack of the Dark Queen. I was banished from the realm of the Fae, exiled from the Kingdom to live as a mortal. This is the price I have paid for treason against the Queen of the Fae, for interfering with Fate."

"Interfering with Fate?" Emma prompted her, intrigued by the brunette's confession.

"Yes, Your Highness, the fate of your shared destiny with Regina."

Emma choked down the lump in her throat at the mention of her cursed love. She forced back her tears, though, fighting the stinging sensation in her emerald eyes as she cleared her throat harshly and spoke her thoughts with conviction.

"Well, it certainly is a deserved and justified punishment, Blue," the teen told the former fairy, locking eyes fiercely with the brunette who only offered a small and deeply saddened smile through fleeing tears.

"Indeed, it is, Emma," she whispered. "Indeed, it is."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two: I Hear Your Wish

Flames leapt, flickered, and roared their fury from all angles and all directions. Thick, blackened clouds of smoke billowed up from the blaze, devouring the air, feeding on the room's oxygen to the point of near suffocation. The heat of the surrounding fire, wild and terrifyingly free, was all consuming. There was no escaping it.

Regina sat tucked into the only flameless corner of the room, the only safe space within the realm of the unconscious created by her own sleeping curse. With her knees pulled tightly to her chest, she sat in a crumpled heap of sweat-drenched limbs exposed through tattered clothing torn by her own hands in an effort to alleviate some of the heat. Her beautiful chocolate locks now were lifeless, pasted to her neck, cheeks, and forehead, as the fallen queen forced oxygen into and out of her lungs, the stinging of the burning air like a jagged pill trapped dangerously in her throat. She had not opened her eyes in days as the smoke and the heat only left them aching, blurry, and dry. The once almighty Evil Queen had been trapped here, sitting weakly in this corner, for the past six years.

Regina, herself, knew not how long it had been since she had been forced to swallow her own sleeping curse and had entered the horrid realm of the unconscious. She knew only that it felt as if it had been centuries. Every part of her body ached in the heat and burns decorated the flesh of her limbs. She had known no respite from such pain since her arrival and no longer sought it as she knew it would not come. When the cursed witch had first arrived, she had been terrified of the power of the flames that devoured the single room that confined her, though she never feared for her life. Having created the curse herself, she knew it was meant to trap, punish, and inflict pain only, never to kill. Though flames constantly seemed to hover only seconds away from overtaking the entire prison, swallowing Regina in the process, the witch knew this would never come to pass. The flames would never grow and they would never dissipate. It truly was a wretched curse.

The brunette witch sat defeated in her corner, hiding inside her thoughts and dreams to escape the constant reminder of her physical pain. She thought of the woods, of the cool breeze blowing through the trees, blessing her flesh with its sweet touch. She had not seen the woods in so long. She had not seen anything outside of her dungeon cell in the White Castle and this horrible room that had become her new prison, in sixteen years. Nearly two decades had passed since Regina had seen the sun or the moon, the grass or the flowers or the trees. The images of each filled her mind, though, now, as fresh as if she could reach out and touch them or bask in the feeling of each upon her skin. It helped her to calm her heart while trapped in this place. It helped her to forget about the four suffocating walls binding her to a realm of fire and pain. It helped her to escape. So, yes, she survived on her imagination alone as she pictured the beauty that was the pure freedom of nature. A single tear slipped from a closed chocolate eye, steam rising from the droplet as it scorched its way down a tan cheek, because most of all, Regina's mind filled with images of wild, golden curls and brilliant, emerald eyes. Emma.

Emma pressed her slender fingers to the glass figurine slung delicately around her neck as she stood in the woods with the woman that had once been her fairy godmother, now turned mortal. "Red," she whispered while the former fairy watched her curiously. She then gasped as the crimson-cloaked brunette appeared suddenly at the princess's side with a loud pop.

Several limp and lifeless rabbits hung from the brunette's belt, signs of a successful hunt, Emma noticed as Red quickly took in the sight of her goddaughter, checking her for visible wounds. "Emma, are you well?" she asked in a panic, though she felt slightly reassured at seeing no imminent danger and no sign of a wound, nor did she smell even an ounce of fear on the blonde.

"I am, Mother," Emma answered and Red's heart swelled to the point of bursting. Though the wolf knew her goddaughter thought of her as her mother now, the blonde rarely addressed her as such, typically maintaining the use of her actual name. When she did address Red as such, though, the brunette instantly melted into a tearful pool of pride, love, and affection. She felt only slightly guilty as it often also made her think of Snow, but she could not deny what felt true and right in her own heart after the many years she had now shared with Emma, caring for the princess as her own. She reached up and pressed a soft hand the blonde's cheek before her heightened sense of smell picked up the scent of another's presence.

Blue had been shocked to hear the term of endearment escape the princess's mouth as the teen spoke to the cloaked brunette. The former fairy instantly recognized the crimson cloak as that of the werewolf, Red. She herself had created the enchantment that adorned its stitches, and yet she truly expected, after hearing Emma's words, to discover Snow White herself beneath its billowing hood and cape. Just then, however, pale hands pushed back the hood of the crimson cloak and as the face beneath snapped in her direction, she looked into the amber eyes of the woman she knew to be part human, part beast. She nearly yelped in surprise once more. Not only was Snow White's dearest friend assisting her daughter in her continued evasion of the White Kingdom and its soldiers, but she had also obviously taken over the role of Emma's parent, her mother. It saddened Blue to think of how tragically Emma's life had fallen apart and of her former charge, Snow, who had lost her daughter, yet it also elated her to know that the girl had not been without comfort or aid all these years. Many times since her banishment Blue had thought of the young princess and hoped that she was well wherever she was, hoped that another fairy had taken her place and perhaps would aid the girl as Blue herself had failed to do so long ago.

Red took in the sight of the woman she recognized as the blue fairy though she certainly was a fairy no longer. She stepped quickly in front of her goddaughter, a show of protection, as she locked her glowing, amber gaze with the light cocoa stare of the former fairy. "You!" Red growled, the sound every bit a sign of the beast that dwelled within her.

Red had once greatly respected the blue fairy, particularly after she discovered her wolf half and Granny had informed her of the cloak's enchantment and the fairy who had cast it; however, Red had also heard from Emma of Blue's betrayal, of the fairy's part in the unnecessary cruelty that had been acted upon her goddaughter's Soul Mate. For that, she was disgusted with the woman and she certainly did not trust her. She trusted no one but the blonde teen standing safely behind her.

Blue shuddered under the wolf's amber glare, unashamedly frightened for her life, but she simply held up her hands in a show of surrender as she had done earlier with the princess and repeated the truth that she meant no ill will or harm.

"It is fine, Red," Emma whispered to her godmother, urging the fiercely protective woman to relax. The blonde quickly recounted all that the former fairy had told her of Fate's punishment for her treason and interference and how she had been exiled. Red took in Emma's words hissed quickly in her ear though her narrowed gaze never left the woman before them. She cared not if the woman had paid greatly for her betrayal. She simply did not trust her, and that was not going to change, though if Emma bid it, Red would give the petite brunette a chance. She would do anything for her precious, blonde pup.

"I wish to speak with her further, Red," Emma continued in the brunette's ear. "She may have knowledge of where Snow has hidden Regina." Red's eyes widened as she realized this could well be true and quickly nodded her agreement though she refused to allow this interaction to take place without her present and she also refused to allow the former fairy to be taken back to their cabin. No one could know of the little home they had made; they must remain hidden as they had always been, at least until today. Emma nodded her understanding before stepping from behind her godmother to address the waiting woman who stood nervously ringing her hands and casting glances back and forth between the princess and the wolf.

"Blue, if you would agree, I would very much like to speak further with you," Emma said, hoping that the brunette would be open to the suggestion; then again, the woman did pursue her on foot through the woods, so surely she longed to speak with the princess more as well.

Blue did not hesitate as she nodded her head, a small smile blooming on her face. "I would like that as well, Your Highness," she said eagerly. She had been starved for company a long time now, for a familiar face, a trace of her old life. She noticed, though, the uncomfortable expressions that painted the two faces before her and realized that they trusted her not and would not allow her a visit to their dwelling wherever it may be. Blue certainly understood their caution and though it saddened her to see her former charge so untrusting of her, she accepted that she had only brought this upon herself. So, she offered her own home, hoping the princess and especially the wolf would sense her sincerity and innocence in this offer.

"I understand if you wish not to disclose information with me, Your Highness. I have a small cottage just south of the village where we met. You both may travel there with me if you like, and there we may speak further."

Red and Emma shared another long look, sharing an entire conversation with nothing more than a gaze. They had become that close, that in tune with one another's thoughts, emotions, and concerns. They shared a fast nod before Emma turned back to the petite woman. "We accept your offer, Blue, and thank you for your hospitality. It grows late now, though, and the sun shall be setting soon. If you would allow it, Blue, I would offer to transport us there with magic. No harm would come to you." Emma did not wish to linger as this night would be the first of the full moon and she knew her godmother would long to run, wouldneed to run; so, she hoped they might be able to visit briefly with the former fairy, gain any information the woman might have though Emma feared it would prove fruitless as so many of her leads in the past six years had been, and be on their way once more.

"Very well," Blue answered after a moment, trusting her intuition that told her the princess spoke only the truth and meant her no harm despite the earlier threat of a fireball. Emma smiled and nodded to the woman before placing her fingers between Red's and walking to stand alongside the former fairy. She laced the fingers of her other hand through Blue's and held tightly to both women.

"You must picture your cottage clearly in your mind, Blue, as clearly as possible," Emma told her. "I will then be able to use the image to transport us to your home." Blue did as Emma commanded, and in a flash, found herself standing before her cottage, her hand still clasped tightly in the princess's.

Blue served both Red and Emma two steaming cups of tea before joining them to share a meal of one of the rabbits Red had hunted and then prepared, with the former fairy's permission, in the cottage kitchen. They ate and drank their tea in silence, though Blue frequently noticed the blonde's eyes upon her. She herself had studied the girl much since discovering her in the market earlier that day. She had grown so, and with the exception of her golden curls, looked more and more like her true mother each day. She had developed into a truly stunning young woman.

"I hear your wish, Emma," Blue whispered quietly, instantly capturing the blonde's attention once more, confusion rippling through emerald eyes. The petite woman chuckled softly before clarifying her statement. "I may be Fae no longer, but I lived as one for nearly three centuries, Your Highness. I have no need of my magic when your eyes speak your wish so loudly."

Emma smiled sadly at the woman and nodded, though her eyes were suddenly alight with hope which sent a ripple of pain through Blue's heart. "I am afraid, though, that I know not where your mother hid the Dark Queen. If you recall, I took leave of the castle before any of you ever vacated the dungeon. I knew of her plan, yes, yet she disclosed not the location with me, Your Highness. I am terribly sorry."

The princess's face contorted briefly with anger at the mention of that horrible night, though she quickly schooled her features once again into the calm mask they had previously worn as her godmother laid a gentle hand atop her knee to comfort her. As stoic as her face had swiftly become, though, the blonde could not prevent the single tear that had escaped, betraying her grief and disappointment to the woman sitting opposite her.

"However…" Blue said cautiously, the tone of her voice capturing the attentions of both her guests now. "There is a place I know of that is quite secret. It is a hidden location discovered by your mother when she had only as many years as you now have. She summoned me there once to fulfill a wish." Emma's ears perked, her eyebrows disappearing into her golden locks, while Red's expression mirrored her own.

"While I cannot be certain, I believe this to be the place your mother may have chosen to conceal your beloved." Emma practically flew into the air, her hope and joy and utter excitement buzzing loudly and lively in her cells. "I can inform you of the location and instruct you on how to reach it; however, it may be quite dangerous to venture there, Your Highness. While she did not employ me to make it so, your mother would most certainly have had this place protected with magic."

"True as that may be, Blue, I must go. I must find Regina," Emma told her, rising to her feet and pulling her godmother up with her, their hands clasped tightly together. Red's head was dizzy with Emma's excitement, the scent, the sound, and the feel of it heavily perfuming the air and leaking through the physical connection of their combined hands. She could not contain her own smile as hope bloomed in her chest for her goddaughter and she reveled in the feeling of Emma's joy. She had not seen or felt the blonde so overcome with purely positive emotion in such an achingly long time, and it warmed her fully from the inside out.

Emma quickly turned to her godmother, her words fast and frantic as her brain feverishly worked to develop a plan. "Red, I know this night marks the beginning of Wolf's Time…"

"No, it is fine, Emma," Red assured the princess with a smile as she knew Emma's request even without the teen voicing it. "There will always be time for me to run. This, we must do for you, my child. We shall leave immediately, now if you desire." Emma smiled brightly and threw her arms around the brunette, embracing her as tightly as her arms would allow. With the exception of Regina, Emma thought she had never loved another more than she loved Red. The woman was her solace, her ever-present and loyal companion. She was a sister and a confident, a mother and a comforter, a protector and a guide; she was everything filling the aching void in Emma's chest and the blonde cherished her godmother more than her words would ever allow her to express.

"Blue," Emma said as she pulled from the embrace and turned to the former fairy who now stood watching the two of them, a beautiful smile stretching her lips. She looked at the woman she had harbored much anger toward for many years, and yet now all she saw before her was the woman who had restored a hope that had long been dying, and for that, she could only be thankful. "If you would, I wish you to accompany us on this journey. I wish your companionship and guidance as we undertake this task."

Blue's smile grew only wider still as she stepped slowly toward her former charge, reaching forward cautiously as she was unsure of whether the princess would allow her touch. The blonde did not flinch away from her, though; thus, the petite brunette courageously settled a gentle palm atop Emma's cheek, swiping away a trail of tears the princess had not even realized was there, before speaking quietly but resolutely to the girl.

"This wish, Emma, is one I most certainly and happily will grant."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Witch Hunt

"We will be traveling into a dangerous area of the White Kingdom, and I know not what enchantments or magical triggers await us once we reach our destination. How do you intend to prepare for this, Your Highness?" Blue asked as she, the princess, and the werewolf, Red, prepared for a journey that with luck, would lead them to the glass prison that held the cursed Evil Queen, Regina.

"With no knowledge of the magical enchantments that await us, I am afraid I can do little to prepare, magically speaking. We must simply hope my magic will be enough to counter or combat whatever the White Queen has in store for us," Emma answered her, and Blue blanched at hearing the princess refer to her mother as "the White Queen." The blonde had truly broken ties with her mother, the queen. It was both heartbreaking as well as understandable, though neither made it less strange to hear. "As far as the danger of the area, though," Emma continued, "Red and I are well equipped to deal with as much, whether it be creatures, humans, or terrain."

Red watched as a pained and concerned expression washed over the former fairy's face, and though she was no friend of Blue's, she certainly could understand the woman's fear and concern. She could only imagine the struggle the woman had endured in the past six years, adjusting to a life she had never been meant to live, a life as a mortal, a life in which she suddenly was without magic, without experience, and without any form of protection. Red could not fathom the thought of one day waking to find her wolf gone from her forever, no longer equipped with the heightened senses that had become so vital to her survival, no longer able to run free and wild, and no longer able to protect the ones she loved. The mere thought sent a shiver down her spine and a jolt of pain coursing through her chest. As such, she comforted the woman, placing a gentle hand atop Blue's shoulder to capture her attention, and offering the petite brunette a kind smile.

"You need not worry, Blue," Red told the woman. "Emma and I, we shall protect you."

"Thank you, Red," the former fairy answered, returning the wolf's smile. Red nodded and went back to her preparations. She secured the light armor and weaponry to her goddaughter that the blonde had teleported to their cabin to retrieve before returning once more to Blue's cottage. For herself, she equipped only small, yet devastatingly sharp daggers upon her leather belt. She carried lightly knowing that were they to encounter a true threat, as this night marked the beginning of Wolf's Time, she could turn and unleash the beast within. They strapped a few daggers to the belt Blue now wore as well, though the woman was hardly adept with weaponry not in the form of periwinkle orbs of fairy magic; her aim, at least, was true, though, as she made several practice throws before their departure.

"I know not what lies ahead, but I wish to be as protected as possible," Emma told the two women awaiting her command. "We may encounter only magic once we reach our destination; however, we may very well encounter the queen's soldiers as well. It is vital we not be recognized."

"Emma…"

"It is fine, Red. I am confident in my ability."

Confused by the exchange, Blue prompted for an explanation. "What is it you wish to do, Your Highness?"

"I wish to glamour us," the princess answered. "However, it is complicated magic and requires fierce concentration and intricate detail. I have performed this magic only twice before and both times, it quite exhausted me and was shallow work at that. I am much more adept with my abilities now, though, and I believe I can manage this well."

"Emma, you will require your strength for what lies in wait. You are my child. I only fear for your safety," Red argued, fearing the overuse of magic might incapacitate her goddaughter, making the teen vulnerable to attack.

"If I require strength, then I shall have it," Emma stated, her tone authoritative and making no room for argument, though her eyes softened at Red's words. "I shall do whatever is required to ensure our safety and secure my beloved. This is not open to discussion." In that moment, the teen sounded every bit the queen she was always destined to become, and Red, though worried for her, felt nothing but pride in her goddaughter's determination, power, and fierce loyalty.

"Very well," Red agreed, Blue nodding alongside her. "I shall require my cloak, though, Emma, even if I am in disguise. Otherwise, I will turn under the glow of the full moon. If your mo—if Snow's men see this, they will surely recognize it. My cloak is legendary in the White Kingdom as all know of the wolf girl who once was the dearest friend of the queen. I am sorry, but this we cannot help."

Emma leaned forward to place a swift kiss to her godmother's cheek, and said, "You need not apologize, Red, nor harbor guilt on this." Red sighed and nodded once more to teen she knew as her child, loving her even more in that moment.

"Right then," Emma said with a clap of her hands. "Shall we?" Both women agreed and the golden-haired princess stepped swiftly in front of Blue and closed her eyes, painting a portrait in her mind of how the former fairy would come to appear were this to hopefully work to Emma's liking. Once she had a clear image burning in her mind, Emma raised her right hand toward Blue and waved it swiftly through the air. A cloud of purple smoke engulfed the woman, blocking her from sight, before dissipating to reveal Emma's success.

Where the petite brunette stood only seconds ago, now stood a tall, slim woman with wild auburn hair and stunning blue eyes, Blue's clothes magically adjusting to her new figure. She looked down upon herself before studying her face in a mounted mirror nearby, gasping at her appearance. Not a trace of her own features remained. Emma's work was intricate and flawless.

Red's smile was radiant as she took in her goddaughter's work. Every time she felt she could not be more proud of the girl, her heart only swelled more. She nodded to Emma as the blonde turned to perform the enchantment again, this time on the wolf. She waved a hand in front of the tall brunette and watched as the purple smoke billowed forth once more, engulfing her godmother before fading to reveal an equally tall form, though Red's new appearance had an exotic appeal. Darker, tanned flesh stretched beautifully across an angular face with charcoal eyes and full, red lips, and all of this beneath a mane of shining, ebony locks.

Emma performed the final enchantment upon herself, and once the smoke cleared and she peered into the mirror, she saw a vision reminiscent of the one she constantly kept in her mind. She ran a soft hand through her long, chocolate tresses while staring into dark eyes the color of warm cocoa, the eyes she had dreamt of her entire life. These two features, she took of her beloved, and seeing them now, she felt an even fiercer determination build and grow within her. This night, all would change. This night, she would find her love again.

Snow White made her way into the royal bedchamber, her features solemn as they had been for the past six years. She seated herself at a grand dresser and pulled a small hand mirror from within. She had spent nearly every night of those six years peering into the enchanted mirror, calling for images of her daughter. Most nights the glass remained as it was, with only her sad reflection staring up at her. Other times, few and far between, she would see quick flashes of her long-missing child as the aging girl went for water at a fresh stream or strode past the metallic surface a village guard's armor or a merchant's glass crafts. Her daughter had grown even more cunning and much more wise than she had been as a child, which was a true testament to the princess's maturity considering she had often been quite the adult even as a young girl.

All of the monarchs' attempts at tracking their daughter, at bringing her home had failed or been squandered by the princess herself, and she kept her distance from mirrors as well, never possessing them and never allowing herself near them. Snow assumed Emma must have learned of the enchanted mirror somehow or perhaps she was merely being cautious as she had grown up on stories of the Evil Queen and her many mirrors. Either way, the White Queen feared she may never again see her daughter, naught more than those rare flashes of wild and tangled golden locks or a shocking glance into emerald eyes. Even so, Snow White would willingly waste away in front of that enchanted mirror if it meant she could have even the tiniest fraction of her child with her once more.

"Show me the princess, Emma," Snow whispered to the mirror, expecting only disappointment, but as the surface of the small mirror rippled and the image began to alter, the White Queen's heart quickened, pounding madly in her chest as it always did when the possibility of seeing her precious child arose.

When the new image collected and came into focus, Snow was shocked by the scene before her. It was not a mere flash or glance of the princess as she had become used to. She was, instead, peering through a rather large mirror into what appeared to be a quaint and lovely cottage, and there in the center of the room she saw her old friend, Red, stunning as ever, wrapped securely in her crimson cloak though the hood was lowered. A beautiful smile painted the wolf's features as she stared at the tall and lithe form of the girl in front of her, the girl Snow White knew to be her daughter though her back was to the mirror. Her golden locks were unmistakable. Snow saw only pure love in Red's eyes as the brunette gazed upon her daughter, and the White Queen recognized it as the very gaze she herself had cast upon the blonde so many years ago—it was the look of a mother's love. A pang of envy ripped through the queen's heart, and while she felt deeply betrayed that her friend had helped her daughter evade her for so many years, she also was deeply comforted to know Emma had been well protected all this time. On Emma's other side stood another woman, a petite brunette. Snow narrowed her gaze to get a better look at the woman and gasped loudly as she realized the shorter brunette was none other than her former advisor and fairy godmother, Blue.

She had heard of Blue's damning fate and exile shortly after that fateful night when all had changed, and since, Snow had been devoured by her guilt. She herself had even taken counsel with the queen of the Fae and pleaded with the fairy to return Blue to her former state, to absolve the fallen fairy of her crimes as she had only been acting on Snow's own command. The Fairy Queen, however, claimed Blue's punishment had been issued at the hands of Fate itself and there was nothing to be done. This had only furthered Snow's guilt.

"Let them be heard," Snow commanded the mirror, wanting only to hear her daughter's voice. It had been so achingly long. When Emma's voice did drift through the mirror and into Snow's ears, though, tears sprung to the White Queen's eyes as she realized just how much the girl had grown. She now had the figure and voice of a young woman, and Snow had missed it all. She had missed every moment, every new age, and every physical change her daughter had gone through. She was supposed to have been there for it all, and instead, Red had taken her place, and the reigning queen was without friend or child, alone.

"We will be traveling into a dangerous area of the White Kingdom, and I know not what enchantments or magical triggers await us once we reach our destination. How do you intend to prepare for this, Your Highness?" She heard Blue ask.

"With no knowledge of the magical enchantments that await us, I am afraid I can do little to prepare, magically speaking. We must simply hope my magic will be enough to counter or combat whatever the White Queen has in store for us," her daughter replied to the former fairy and Snow practically fell from her chair, the pain of hearing her child refer to her as "the White Queen" tearing through her soul like nothing ever had. Then, the realization of the subject of their conversation suddenly sank in. Emma was coming to the White Kingdom; she was coming home. But for what purpose, Snow was unsure. It sounded as if the teen were preparing more for battle than travel. This worried the queen. Would Emma attack us? Was the princess planning to launch an attack upon her own kingdom? Surely not.

Snow quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts and tune back into the conversation taking place between her daughter and her two old friends. "I wish to glamour us," Emma's grown and beautiful voice announced."However, it is complicated magic and requires fierce concentration and intricate detail. I have performed this magic only twice before and both times, it quite exhausted me and was shallow work at that. I am much more adept with my abilities now, though, and I believe I can manage this well."

"Emma, you will require your strength for what lies in wait. You are my child. I only fear for your safety," Snow heard Red say, and she nearly fell ill at the words. You are my child. Snow heard Red's voice speaking the words over and over in her mind, her turmoil and anger only growing. This, none of this, was right. Emma was her child. It should be Snow that Emma seeks comfort with and counsel from. Red had truly taken her place.

"If I require strength, then I shall have it. I shall do whatever is required to ensure our safety and secure my beloved. This is not open to discussion."

Realization blasted through the White Queen like an icy storm. Her daughter, Red, and Blue were coming to the White Kingdom, not to launch an attack, but to rescue Regina. Snow had indeed employed multiple magical practitioners to enchant the area in which she had hidden the glass coffin that held her former step-mother, and knew the location had yet to be discovered by her daughter as she herself frequently checked to ensure that it had remained hidden and Regina remained very much secured within. They were dangerous enchantments, and one in particular would summon a large, nearby fraction of her army to the very location with the instruction for said army to attack on sight.

"Oh Gods!" Snow shouted through the room, the echo reaching only her own ears. If Blue had successfully figured Regina's location as the queen was sure she had, then Emma, all of them, would be in grave danger if Snow could not reach them in time to head them off. She saw only a flash of swirling purple smoke dissipating to reveal a physically transformed Red before Snow tossed the mirror atop the dresser and sprinted from her chambers, calling for her husband. They had very little time and much distance to travel in order to reach the place where Snow feared the enchantments she had ordered in place as well as her own men may very well bring about the death of her beloved Emma, though the dread brewing in her gut told her that they would never make it in time.

A disguised Emma, Red, and Blue appeared in a swirl of smoke upon the soft sands of a quiet beach, the tranquil ocean lapping soothing, steady waves to the shore. The full moon reflected beautifully on the water as the blonde princess turned brunette took in the sights with utter bewilderment.

"Have we gone astray, Blue?" she asked the former fairy. "This is but a beach."

The now redhead shook her head. "No, this is the place, Your Highness," she answered. "It is hidden by magic. You must dispel the enchantment."

"How?" Emma asked, suddenly nervous that she had not the magical knowledge to undertake the challenges that lie ahead, though she did her best to steady her resolve, filling her mind with images of Regina and the hope of seeing the witch again soon.

Though Blue had lived the better part of a decade without her magic, she had lived much longer, nearly three centuries with it. She summoned the knowledge of magic that still coursed through her ages-old soul so that she might aid her former charge, guiding her to do what must be done. She wrapped both of her hands around Emma's own and whispered softly to the teen.

"Close your eyes," Blue said and watched as Emma followed her command. "Feel the magic coursing through you and breathe. Embrace the feeling and allow its power to fill you until it is all that remains. Feel it in your heart, Emma. Feel it traveling down your arms to your fingertips."

Emma did as Blue instructed and within seconds, purple sparks ignited visibly across the princess's fingertips. "That is it, Emma. You are doing well," Blue said as she then stepped away from the teen. "Now, lift your hands and hold them out before you. If you remain open, you should sense the magic in the air, be able to feel the presence of the enchantment. Do you feel it?"

"I do," Emma said firmly, her confidence growing once more as the former fairy guided her.

"Good, now imagine yourself dispelling it, dismantling the magic seam by seam. Picture it clearly in your mind, Emma, and then push the image forward. Project it. Will it through your hands." Blue had every confidence in Emma's abilities and knew the princess would be able to do this. She herself could sense the strength of Emma's magic. It filled the air like a heady perfume.

Suddenly, a pulse of energy shot forth from the princess's raised and open hands and all three women gasped as the pulse slammed forcefully into an invisible barrier which then cracked and crumbled, shattering into ash and revealing the true image of the terrain. Massive, jagged rocks rose before them, slippery with the spray of the violent waves now roaring and rocking, smashing into the rocks and the rugged terrain that stretched beyond them. This place was no longer a tranquil vision. It was a terrifying and dangerous land not made for human travel.

"Your Highness," Blue breathed in awe, "you have done it. That was magnificent." Red smiled and embraced her goddaughter with pride as they both continued to praise the teen's abilities.

"Thank you, Blue, for your guidance," Emma said sweetly. "You may be my fairy godmother no longer, but you have aided me well this night." Blue simply beamed and nodded respectfully to the princess before they turned to face the treacherous terrain.

As the sweat-drenched, bruised, battered, and breathless trio of women made its way slowly and cautiously over jagged rocks and loose soil, Emma mentally prepared herself for the endless possibilities of the dangers they may encounter ahead or truthfully, at any time. She had spent the last six years honing her magical skills, opening herself up to the part of her soul that was purely Regina and allowing the witch's knowledge to seep into her mind and body. She had discovered she held a vast array of magical abilities from fireballs to healing touches to dominion over the elements. Much of the magic greatly drained Emma and required her full concentration, yet she never gave up. She practiced and grew in her abilities, and she was certain this night that she could and would do whatever necessary to help them on their journey, on their mission. She would be alert. She would ready for anything, for everything.

"We are nearing our final destination, Your Highness," Blue said quietly as Emma reached back to pull the former fairy up and over a particularly high rise of jagged rocks. The edge of the rock cut into her arm as she lifted the woman and she felt a thin trail of wetness slip down her arm as the jagged edge sliced through her flesh. She winced, but pushed the pain from her mind. Simple cuts and bruises she could manage. They were nothing compared to the pain of soul she had endured and were nothing compared to the physical pain she was prepared to endure for her beloved. "The cavern should become visible once we round this final ledge. That is the place your mother would have hidden the Dark Queen."

Emma's excitement grew exponentially. She glanced to her other side to take in the sight of her godmother who stood alert and waiting in the moonlight. Red had been silent the entire hour they had been traveling, keeping her heightened senses focused on their surroundings so that she might detect any coming danger soon enough to avoid being caught unaware. The princess chose to leave her godmother to her focus, knowing the wolf's primary concern was their safety, but just as she pushed past the woman to carry forward toward the treacherous ledge, Red shot forth a hand and latched onto Emma's arm, and the teen suddenly found herself wrapped in a fiercely tight and choking embrace.

Though the princess was stunned by the sudden show of affection, she hesitated not in wrapping her arms around the woman who had become her mother and returning the embrace. Red took in the scent of her precious companion and let it encompass her fully and comfortingly as she whispered softly in the teen's ear. "Emma, we know not what lies ahead, and while I am confident we shall succeed, it is important that you hear me now." Emma nodded her understanding and Red continued. "Whatever comes, whatever happens, know that I love you. I may not be your mother by birth, but you are my child. You have filled my heart with such joy and love, Emma, and you are what I am most proud of in my life. You are what I most cherish. Do you understand?"

Tears streamed openly from Emma's eyes and dripped into Red's glamoured locks. She tightened her hold on the woman and nodded her understanding once more before whispering in return the only words that seemed to even come close to expressing how she felt. "I love you, Mother." A small sob escaped Red's throat followed by a deep and relieved sigh before she pulled back from the embrace, lifting her hands to wipe the tears from her child's cheeks. She leaned forward and placed a tender kiss to the teen's forehead before motioning for them all to continue on with their journey.

Emma could practically taste the magic in the air once they finally managed to round the ledge and the shadowed cavern came into view just in the distance. It made her feel incredibly uneasy, and now that they were once again on steady ground, no longer having to climb over rock cliffs and slick, yet mountainous sands and soil, the teen surprisingly felt more exposed than ever. She could sense that Red felt the same as the wolf seemed even more alert than before. They were now out in the open, perfectly visible to anyone watching though they remained disguised by Emma's magic.

"Be alert," Blue cautioned, her voice audibly on edge. She could sense the magic, too, even without her own. Emma nodded her understanding and opened her hands at her sides, tensing them and preparing to unleash a storm of magic if need be, and in only a matter of seconds, the need certainly arose.

Emma stepped forward toward the cavern and on her third step, a blasting pulse of energy shot through the air. She had walked into an invisible trigger. Instantly, the sky opened up and a rain of fire began to fall, torpedoing toward the ground and the three women who stood upon it. Emma was ready, though. She would not be shaken and she would not be deterred from her mission. Her hands shot to the sky, palms open, as she began to spin her body feverishly, becoming but a blur as a purely white aura engulfed her before shooting toward the sky. The aura sprung into the air and flattened into a translucent white sheet high above their heads and as the rain of fire pelted down, it ran through the sheet like a filter, emerging beneath it as only water, the sweltering torpedoes reduced to a mere misting rain that did naught but soothe the women.

The princess staggered a bit as she dropped her hands knowing the protective sheet would remain where she had cast it. Her energy was draining fast as physical and magical exhaustion set it, but her godmother placed a comforting hand upon her lower back to steady her. They shared a knowing look before Emma gathered her strength once more, setting her resolve firmly in place, and deciding they could linger no longer. She took off toward the cavern at a sprint, hoping few enchantments remained as her body begged for rest.

As the trio shot forward, their feet pounding the ground beneath them, adrenaline pumping through their veins, Red sensed the next attack before it happened. She felt the shift in the air as they breached the next enchanted trigger, felt the rumble beneath her feet. She shouted a warning to Emma just as a massive wriggling branch sprung forth from the ground. Emma turned swiftly but not in time. The branch, which had sprung from behind her, swept forward at a violent speed and slammed painfully into the side of the princess's head. A large gash ripped through the flesh of Emma's temple, spilling crimson as the teen flew from her feet and landed with a sickening thud several feet away, though shockingly, she remained conscious.

"Blue, RUN!" Red screamed to the former fairy who took off without hesitation, sprinting toward the cavern once more as Red ran at an almost superhuman speed to reach her goddaughter. Emma's vision swam and blurred, flickering in and out of focus as she took in the spotted and fuzzied image of her godmother running toward her. She felt Red's arms slide swiftly beneath her body and scoop her up, one arm hooked beneath her head and the other in the crook of her bent knees. She fought to regain her focus, regain her senses as the aura of the magical shield she had created to douse the fiery rain as well as the glamoured features she had cast upon herself and the other two women flickered like a candle in the wind threatening their disappearance.

Red sprinted wildly toward the cavern, her strength and speed a testament to the beast that dwelled within, the hood of her cloak flying back and even with her enchanted appearance, the effect was obvious. Her eyes glowed amber in the moonlight but she could not stop. She pushed forward as massive branch after branch shot from the ground on all sides of her, swinging and swooping madly in an effort to grab and mangle her, but her inner wolf was unstoppable, her agility and speed carrying her swiftly forward. She ducked, dodged, and leapt over the branches with her child tucked tightly in her arms.

Tears streamed from her amber eyes at the sight of the blood gushing from Emma's temple, but she did not lose focus, nor did she slow. She saw Blue just ahead, diving to duck behind a large boulder as Red sprang from the ground in an almighty leap to avoid the largest branch yet, which swept warily just inches below her feet. She landed in a crouch, Emma's head lolling to the side, though the princess's eyes remained open and blurred. As soon as her feet touched the ground, another pulse of energy shot through the air and the branches retreated, slinking back into the ground. They had made it, yet she feared what hell this newest trigger might bring upon them.

Blue emerged swiftly from behind the boulder and ran to Red's side as the wolf settled Emma gently upon the ground. Blue surprised Red by ripping a long strip from her top to clean the blood from the princess's wound. Red glanced frantically around, perking her ears to listen for the threat she knew would be coming, but she heard nothing. It was too quiet and it set her teeth on edge, the small hairs on the back of her neck standing at attention.

Emma blinked rapidly as Blue dabbed at her wound, finally, though slowly, regaining her focus. "Emma," Blue said breathlessly, "can you heal your wound? I know you are weak, but you must try, Your Highness." Emma nodded though she instantly regretted the dizzying action and a loud groan ripped from her throat. She raised a trembling hand to her bleeding temple and willed her magic to come to her aid once more, but her strength was waning and the magic did not come. "Try again, Emma," Blue commanded. "You can do this. You must do this."

Emma took a steadying breath and summoned the image of Regina in her mind, a constant source of strength throughout the last six years of her adventurous and often dangerous life. Her cells instantly buzzed with warmth and love and light, and within seconds, electricity crackled in her fingertips and the flesh of her temple began to mend itself until the only evidence that remained of the wound was the steadily drying blood in Emma's hair. Both Blue and Red breathed a great sigh of relief as Blue pulled the princess to her feet and steadied her. The flickering magic of the glamour enchantments solidified once more, each woman's magical disguise firmly in place again, though Emma allowed the translucent white sheet to shimmer and disappear as the raining fire had finally halted.

"We have triggered another enchantment," Red told the princess, "yet no attack has come to pass. I do not like this, Emma. Something does not feel right about this."

"Yes, I agree," Blue joined in. "I fear the worst is yet to come."

Just then, a massive fog of white smoke filled the space that separated the small trio from the opening of the cavern. Red and Emma crouched at the ready, Emma pulling her sword swiftly from her sheath and launching forth a hand to sweep the former fairy protectively behind them as a large fraction of soldiers suddenly appeared where the smoke slowly dissipated. Emma estimated that there were at least thirty men and all of them wore armor instantly recognized by the princess, her parents' insignia reflecting brightly in the moonlight upon the soldiers' breastplates.

Snow and Charming rode fiercely upon their steeds, the horses straining from traveling the long distance at such a grueling pace. Snow's heart pounded so heavily in her chest that she feared it might rip fully from its confines at any minute. What if they could not reach the cavern in time? What if Emma…No, Snow shook her head. She would not allow such thoughts. She could not allow such thoughts as they would only fog her focus. They would make it. They had to. They drew ever nearer their destination, taking the route that led safely through the hidden passage known only by the king and queen, the passage that afforded them entry to the cavern without enduring the rugged terrain or the magic that awaited there. They would make it, she continued to tell herself. They would make it. They would.

Blue remained crouched behind the massive boulder where Emma had commanded her to hide once more as the alarmingly loud clang and clatter of clashing swords ripped through the night like ominous thunder. Her hands flew to the handles of the daggers bound to her waist, though, as a bone-chilling howl ripped through the air and she threw her head around the side of the boulder just in time to see Red, head thrown wildly back in the air as she tore the crimson cloak from her back. The full moon poured brightly upon the woman whose spine cracked, loud and grotesque, as her back arched unnaturally, jutting out and shredding her clothes, her fingers lengthening, claws punching through the flesh, and her face elongating into a vicious, snarling snout, and in only seconds, a massive wolf crouched on all fours upon a mess of tattered clothing, growling fiercely in the place where the woman that was Red had only just stood. It was both a magnificent and terrifying sight.

The sight of the werewolf alone was enough to send several of the soldiers sprinting from the action, fearing greatly for their lives; others remained, though, willing to fight to the death for the honor of their great King and Queen. The gigantic wolf, bound in thick fur the color of melted chocolate, sprang forth, leaping vigorously into the air and coming down atop three soldiers at once, slamming them fiercely to the ground. Claws dug into flesh and razor-like fangs ripped through fragile throats as agonizing screams reverberated through the rocky ravine where the cavern stood, and the life essences of fallen soldiers painting the surrounded ground a deep crimson.

Emma struggled to regain her footing as she took a particularly heavy blow to the shoulder by the butt of a soldier's sword. She was surrounded, but she kept her fear at bay. She fought fiercely, slashing her sword through the air with deadly precision. She heard a sickening thud sound behind her and turned swiftly to see a soldier, wide-eyed and sword held high in the air poised to deliver a fatal strike to the princess from behind while she had fought to regain her stance. She shifted quickly to the side just as a spray of blood shot from the soldier's mouth in a ragged cough and he toppled forward face first, lifeless long before his body ever touched the ground. The darkened butt of a familiar dagger jutted out at an awkward angle from where the blade had been embedded in the back of the man's skull. Emma's eyes snapped up to focus on the massive boulder just to the right of where she now stood and saw an extremely focused Blue, armed still stretched forward from the throw. The princess's jaw dropped in shock as she realized that the woman had just saved her life.

The teen quickly threw herself back into the fray to take on the soldiers still fighting for her head, never knowing who she really was. She leapt into the air, kicking forward a fast foot to deliver a solid blow to a gaining soldier's chest, using the leverage to launch herself further into the air where she then rained down upon another, her sword sinking sickeningly into the waiting chest. She allowed herself not to think of the lives she was taking and had taken. She fought only to remind herself that it was for her own protection, and Blue's, and Red's, and finally, Regina's. It was kill or be killed, and she would do anything necessary to rescue the woman who had changed her life, the woman who was her destined Soul Mate. She wrenched her sword from the soldier's chest and turned to see her godmother, now in wolf form, literally tear the head off of a man. She grimaced at the sight though she marveled at the sheer power of the beast that was her beloved companion. They would protect each other to the very end.

Just then, the echoing wail of a horn sounded through the night and Emma turned to see the parents she had long ago abandoned sitting atop massive steeds in the distance, the perfect picture of regal authority and power, her father's lips pressed firmly to the mouth of the horn. She heard her father's voice shouting commands to the few remaining soldiers not lying lifeless or limbless upon the ground, and those left standing instantly halted their attack.

Emma wasted no time listening. She attempted no contact with her parents, focusing instead on her ultimate task, the reason they had endured all of this in the first place. She shot a quick glance to the wolf just off to her side. The beast nodded at her before sprinting to the boulder where Blue remained, still safely hidden. Emma ran as quickly as her legs would carry her until she reached the entrance of the cavern.

She slammed fiercely into an invisible magical barrier sealing the entrance of the cavern, the magic of which blasted into her, sending her soaring through the air once more. She landed with a hard thud several feet away, but she would not be deterred. She forced herself to her feet and took off again, sprinting toward the opening once more. Just as she reached her destination, a guttural, heart-wrenching scream ripped from her throat as she called for all the magic within her and sent it soaring from her open palms. The ground and air shook with the force of her power as the magic of love fueled her attack and the seal shattered into oblivion.

She sprinted into the cavern, now unprotected, following the path onward toward where she knew now, without doubt, her love would be. She relied heavily on the power of her adrenaline to carry her as exhaustion roared in her bones, in her very marrow. As she rounded a corner, a gurgling sob tore from her chest as a shining glass coffin came swiftly into view.

Red and Blue thundered along the path of the cavern behind Emma, knowing full well that James and Snow were only just behind them, shouting for them to halt, to turn back. The massive wolf spared a glance to the former fairy to ensure she was keeping pace and was shocked to see that Blue appeared as herself again, petite and brunette, which meant Emma would appear as herself as well, and it also meant, the wolf gravely realized, that Emma's energy and power had significantly drained. The wolf feared for her pup, her child. She feared for Emma's health, for her safety. The magic she had performed this night had taken too much out of her, and paired with the physical exhaustion of the journey and the battle, the teen might very well collapse at any time.

They rounded the final corner to see the princess, shrouded in a mane of wild, golden curls once more, leaning heavily over the glass case that held the fallen queen, Regina. Emma's head snapped toward them and she gasped as she saw Blue in her natural appearance and realized she must look like herself once again as well. They needed to escape quickly. She must get Regina to safety, not to mention herself and the other two. She summoned every ounce of remaining strength she had, pulling her love and her desire and her loyalty from her very soul to aid her one last time this night.

"Red!" Emma addressed the wolf whose ears perked, attentive and waiting for command. "I must take Regina first, but I will come back for you. I promise I will come back for you both." The wolf and the former fairy nodded and turned to stand and face the reigning king and queen who had now come into view, sprinting down the passage of the cavern toward the trio.

Emma used her magic to crack the seal of the glass coffin before throwing the lid from the case and sliding her hands into the open space to latch onto the limp body within, the body of her other half. The princess's own body instantly filled to the brim with a warmth unlike any she had felt for the better part of a decade, shocking life back into her exhausted cells. She called forth the image of the small cabin in the woods of the faraway kingdom to her mind before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke, her long-lost and cursed love in tow.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four: Holding On and Letting Go

Emma appeared, surrounded by the familiar shroud of purple smoke, in the small, open space of the cabin she had shared with her godmother for the last month. The journey, even with magic was terribly long; thus, she immediately tumbled to the floor, her knees buckling beneath her with the weight of her exhaustion, and took Regina down with her. The brunette lay limp and seemingly lifeless beneath her upon the floor, unaffected by the fall, as Emma struggled to push herself up once more. She managed to crawl to her knees just beside the cursed witch. Tears flowed like rapid rivers from emerald eyes as the princess finally took in the sight of her sleeping love, the woman she shared a soul with, the woman she had not seen in six painstakingly long years. Already she could feel the change in their connection, the growth.

The bond Emma shared with her Soul Mate had only continued to strengthen and evolve over the years they had been separated. With each passing day and night, the blonde felt only more and more of a draw to the witch, more and more of Regina manifesting inside her thoughts, emotions, and mannerisms even. As she allowed herself only moments to take in the sight of the stunning woman, Emma was struck as never before with the beauty of the fallen queen. She had always admired the woman's gorgeous features, but now Regina's beauty touched the princess in an entirely new manner, a feeling she had never known but that excited her every cell. She ached for the woman's touch, to see those long, dark lashes flutter open and reveal those mesmerizing cocoa eyes. Emma's desire and need to be reunited with her love, however, must wait. She must return to the cavern. Her godmother needed her. Blue needed her. She felt stripped and torn in two and she only hoped she would have the strength to manage this final feat.

The golden-haired young woman leaned sweetly forward and whispered gently against soft, chocolate tresses. "Hold on for me, my love. We shall see one another soon." The princess could barely muster the strength to rise to her feet as she summoned the image of the cavern and drifted away in a cloud of swirling magic.

Regina, shrunken into the corner of the burning room that was the horrid realm of the unconscious, groaned aloud as the sweltering heat bit at her flesh, melting her alive. There had been a brief moment only seconds earlier in which the brunette woman had been shocked from her persistent state of forced dreaming. Her eyes had snapped open with the sudden sensation of touch. She had so clearly felt the touch of another's hands upon her sides, clutching her fiercely before it passed, and as she opened her eyes, she saw only the burning room once more. The fallen queen was as alone as she had always been.

Still, she could not help but feel as if the touch had been more than her imagination. She reached down and peeled the drenched fabric of her clothing away from her flesh and gasped loudly, spurring on a ragged round of coughing as the smoke in the air filtered thickly into her open mouth and lungs. She kept her eyes on her sides though as she coughed until her throat was nearly torn open and bleeding. There, burned and imprinted into her flesh were two unmistakable handprints. Someone had touched her and she had felt it. She could see it, and in her heart, she knew exactly who that person had been. There was but one type of magic Regina knew of that had the power to transcend realms—True Love. Emma had come for her.

The brunette let out a heavy sigh as she cried her relief, steaming tears slipping down her smoke-blackened cheeks, leaving trails of purity through the flesh that had been dirty and marred. Just as she was about to close her eyes and slip into her imagination once more, conjuring up images of the child she had left behind, she distinctly heard a voice whisper in her ear. She could practically feel the person's breath on her flesh.

Hold on for me, my love. We shall see one another soon. 

Regina all but cried out her joy. She recognized not the voice as it had been the voice of a young woman; she did, however, recognize the presence she felt in the air as the words graced her hearing with sweet promise, and the witch knew, without doubt, that the voice had belonged to her truest friend, her destiny, her Soul Mate.

The wolf that was Red was shocked to see her crimson cloak tucked safely beneath the arm of her former best friend, the reigning queen, Snow White, as the monarchs rounded the final corner of the cavern and halted only feet from where the wolf and the former fairy stood. Snow must have rescued the cloak from the impromptu battlefield before pursuing the trio into the cavern. Purple smoke still lingered in the air behind them, where Emma had only just disappeared from the glass coffin's side, holding tightly to the cursed witch that was once the unstoppable Evil Queen.

The wolf growled low in her throat and moved to position herself in front of Blue, protecting the woman who had helped them come so far, had helped them rescue the woman she had also helped to curse so long ago. The former fairy had truly redeemed herself. Blue was surprised by the show of protection. It deeply touched her and fueled her hope that she had perhaps, in part, reconciled some of the mistakes she had made in the past and was now earning the trust and loyalty of the wolf and of the princess.

The King held his sword at the ready, aiming its point fiercely at the wolf that was his child's godmother; however, he also knew her as the woman whom had helped his child flee the kingdom and evade any attempt to bring her home. For that, James distrusted the wolf, anger churning in his chest and stomach as Red's betrayal stabbed at him, at the former friend's choice to keep their daughter from them.

Snow stepped cautiously forward, her eyes locking with the wolf's, the beast continuing to growl its warning as the queen moved ever nearer. The White Queen reached beneath her arm to pull forth the crimson cloak and held it up as she spoke calmly to the animal. "Red, I know you can hear me and I know you are angry, but I wish only to speak with you," Snow said slowly, enunciating every word. "May I?" She motioned to the cloak and waited for the wolf to respond.

The wolf's amber gaze flicked to the cloak before rising back up to meet the queen's emerald eyes, so like Emma's. Red bared her teeth briefly, growling her displeasure at the entire situation, which forced the queen to take a cautionary step backward, before the wolf huffed and pushed a paw forward, dipping into a graceful bow of agreement. A sad, but sweet smile appeared on the raven-haired woman's face as she stepped forward once more and threw forward the cloak, its crimson cape rippling through the air to settle atop the great wolf's back. Snow kneeled upon the ground in front of the wolf and clasped the cloak around its thick and coated neck before pulling forth the red hood. She ran a pale and beautiful hand through the wolf's chocolate fur, scratching sweetly behind its right ear to which Red could not help but whine her approval, tilting her head into the touch. Snow had always loved Red's wolf, such a beautiful and fiercely loyal creature, much like the woman herself and despite the anger and hurt feelings Snow felt toward the brunette, she could not deny how she had missed her or how she would always love her. The queen then pulled quickly back to stand and wait for the transformation to occur.

Deeply brown fur quickly began receding back into paling flesh, claws retracting into shortening, slimming fingers. Feature by feature, the massive wolf transformed into a beautiful, brunette woman. Red pulled her crimson cloak tightly closed around her as she now stood, human once more, barefoot and starkly naked. The former fairy at her side pulled her own cloak from her back to drape around the front of the taller brunette, offering Red an added layer of decency which she took gratefully with a small smile before turning her narrowing gaze back to the raven-haired woman and her snarling husband still with the point of his sword aimed dangerously at her.

Snow attempted a friendly smile though the dread spilling through her cells made her fear this exchange may well go sour, especially with the rolling waves of anger rippling off the King at her side and the fiercely untrusting look in Red's eyes. Still, she hoped for the best and spoke to her old friend. She spared not a glance at the woman who was the former fairy as she could not even bring herself to look at her, her guilt still devouring her from inside. So, she focused, instead, on Red.

"Truthfully, I know not where even to begin," Snow said sadly. "Six years, Red. It has been six years."

"Indeed it has," Red answered, giving nothing more.

"And you have been with…with Emma all this time?" A single tear leaked a trail down the reigning queen's cheek as she spoke her daughter's name.

"I have," Red answered again. She could not bring herself to walk this path with Snow as she knew her former best friend truly only wanted her daughter back, the daughter that Red had come to claim as her own.

"You have harbored her all this time!" James suddenly roared from Snow's side, tears he was entirely unaware of marring his cheeks as his anger devoured him. "You have kept her from us ALL THIS TIME!"

"James, please…" Snow said softly, but he could not be calmed.

"NO! I will not be silent, Snow," he shouted. "What you have done, Red…it is an act of treason against us. It is a crime punishable by death." Blue's gasp echoed through the cavern at the King's words. Surely they would not sentence the wolf to death.

Red's anger grew like a tangible being within the cavern, thickening the air to a point of near suffocation. She shook visibly where she stood, having to force herself to remain in place to keep from throwing off her cloak again and allowing her wolf to take the reins once more.

"What I have done?" she repeated his words, her voice an ominously low growl as she spoke through gritted teeth. "What I have done is I have protected Emma. I have raised her and cared for her, nurtured her and taught her how to defend herself, how to fend for herself. I have taught her to hunt and how to survive. I have fed her and clothed her and comforted her. I have soothed her every ache and pain, embraced and rocked her through every night terror. I have afforded her freedom whenever she desired it and companionship whenever she needed. I have loved and cherished her, every waking and sleeping second with her. I have helped her grow into a strong, powerful, and fiercely pure and loyal young woman. What I have done, King James, unlike yourself, is allow her to be whomever she desires to be and love whomever her heart desires to love, and I have never taken from her."

Tears tracked Red's as well as Snow's cheeks as the women then locked eyes and the reigning queen saw only the sincerity and absolute resolve in the brunette's gaze. She meant every word. "Red, all that we did, we did for Emma," Snow said through her tears, pleading with her old friend, "for her future. We meant only to keep her safe."

"No, Snow," Red denied her, shaking her head, "I love you, but what you did, you did only for yourself and I believe, in your heart, you know this to be true. You wish to justify your choices, to see them as you have claimed, yet it is purely that—a wish, one which cannot and will not be granted. You have always been pure of heart, Snow, yet you lowered yourself, you betrayed your heart to sate the hunger of your own dark and buried desire for revenge, to take from Regina as you believe she has taken from you in the past, but did you ever truly believe that, Snow? It was you who had power and riches, a kingdom and loyal subjects, and it was you who had the magic of True Love, and you do still, while Regina sat barren and alone, condemned to a life trapped within a magical prison beneath your castle with only the memories of her mother's abuse, your betrayal, the death of the man she believed to be her True Love, and your father's possession to keep her company. She was no threat to you any longer, Snow, and yet, the instant that destiny allowed that woman to feel what it meant to be cherished, to be loved again and to love in return, you simply could not let her be even after you learned of her connection to Emma, a connection that the Snow I once knew, more than anyone, would have profoundly respected. Yet, because this connection involved Regina, you rejected it. You denied her, her happiness yet again, the happiness that she was and isdestined to share with Emma, a destiny you should want for the princess if you truly desire her happiness. Your actions were selfish, Snow. Emma was right to leave when she did."

"Snow, surely you will not stand for this!" James shouted upon hearing Red's words, the blatant blame the brunette placed upon he and his wife for a deed they had committed only to protect the one they held most dear. "Regina is the Evil Queen! She would have destroyed Emma given half the chance!"

Snow could not stop her tears. They ripped from her eyes with a force that nearly caused her to cry out her agony. Red's speech clawed and gnawed at her flesh, at her lungs, at her heart. She could not deny the truth in them and knowing as much only fueled her guilt, making her long again for denial, which came, of course, in the form of anger. "Emma was a child, Red, a child!"

"And children know better than anyone how to love!" Red shouted back at the queen. "Emma loved without fear and without judgment, and she still does!"

"And you know this well, Red, as you took her from me, from us. When Emma fled the castle, she had but ten years. You could have brought her home, Red, brought her back to us. Yet you made us ill with worry by keeping her from us. Every minute of these last six years, I have ached for her. I have prayed for her, for her return. I have mourned for her. I have mourned for you! Yet you chose to let me suffer!" Snow's screams were ragged, her voice scratching in her throat with the weight of her tears.

"As you let Emma suffer, Snow! As you let Regina! As you let Blue! And all for naught but your own gain. I would not take Emma to the castle against her will. I would not deny her a wish that could be granted," Red's voice was a thundering growl, more reminiscent of her wolf than of her human self.

"SHE IS MY DAUGHTER!" Snow screamed into the space that separated her from the wolf.

"NO, SNOW! SHE IS MINE!" Red growled loud and menacingly and even in her human form, she snapped her teeth viciously at the queen while taking swift step forward.

"How dare you!" James shouted, his face tinted an angry crimson, and seeing the brunette lurch threateningly toward his wife, he lunged forward, driving the point of his sword toward the woman with deadly aim. Red's senses, however, were alive and buzzing and she swiftly turned toward the attack, launching forward to meet the King, no longer caring to keep her decency. She slid just past the blade before wrenching it from his hands. Red threw aside the weapon with a mighty growl before turning back to meet Charming's stunned expression. She dropped her hood and her eyes glowed a brilliant amber as she lunged forward again, shoving the man with all the strength coursing through her veins and sending him spiraling to the ground several feet away.

Red turned back to the queen who now stood rigid with her bow pulled from her back and an arrow drawn. Snow was mortified that James had attacked Red, though she did not wish to let her guard down now in case the brunette gave in to her anger and the call of the moon and transformed once more. Neither she nor her husband would survive it. Red moved quickly to stand in front of Blue once more, who stood wide-eyed and shaking over what had just occurred, knowing the former fairy had only the wolf for protection were they to be attacked again.

James stirred from his position on the ground and reached quickly for his belt, ripping away his dagger, and without second thought, motivated only by his anger and his wounded pride, reared back and delivered a powerful throw aimed at Red just as purple smoke swirled around the two brunettes. A flash of blonde appeared in the smoke followed by the echo of a sickening thud, a father's scream of regret, and a guttural, choking cough. After only a minute, the swirling, purple smoke dissipated and the reigning king and queen saw that they were completely and utterly alone.

Blue and Red suddenly found themselves inside a small cabin that Red instantly recognized as the one she shared with her beloved goddaughter. As the magic in the air cleared fully, Red's beautiful brown eyes quickly locked with green as she finally saw her child before her. She smiled brightly about to praise Emma for not only their rescue but for her timing as well, when she noticed the pained expression in the teen's eyes and suddenly, a thick crimson fluid dribbled forth from between the blonde's lips, slipping slowly down her dimpled chin. Red's vision blurred as her panic set in and Emma dropped heavily to her knees before her, the thick butt of the King's dagger protruding from the growing red stain on the princess's stomach.

"Emma!" Red and Blue shouted in unison as they, too, dropped to their knees, reaching for the young woman, but the blonde shook her wild, golden curls fiercely. She took a ragged breath, the life in her draining rapidly as due to her overexertion and exhaustion from the night's events, she had no strength left in her to fight the ever-tightening grip of death.

Emma forced only a single word through her lips. "Regina." And the wolf and the former fairy watched as the dying, yet undeniably brave, princess crawled heavily across the cabin floor to reach her destined love, her Soul Mate. She took what felt like her final breath, though she hoped she could hold on long enough, and whispered, "I…love you. Come…back to…me." And with that, she pressed her blood-crusted, desperate lips to the full and supple mouth of the cursed and sleeping brunette witch before her.

A stunning wave of energy burst forth from their joined lips, igniting the room with light, before a sharp, gasping breath echoed through the cabin, the sound of one waking while another slipped away.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five: Rediscovery

Soft, blonde lashes fluttered as the land of the living called for the princess, beckoned her back from the light, from the clutches of her own demise. Emma reached for consciousness, dragging herself up from the depths of the induced slumber of her near-death experience. Her body ached in every cell as her long and lithe form woke inch by inch, sorely stretching and straining. Her senses, struggling to regain their strength and focus, barely picked up the sudden clatter of cracking glass or the furious tapping of feet aimed in her direction. Drops of wetness rained upon her hands, her neck, her hair, and her forehead as a tickling sensation tingled atop her nose and cheeks.

Emerald orbs captured the light after three days of slumber, blinking rapidly to clear away the blur of the film that still coated their beauty. The blonde princess instantly discovered the source of the tickling, tingling sensation that assaulted her face and a stunning smile stretched her pale, pink lips. Her godmother was leaning heavily over her, nuzzling Emma's face with her nose, the wolf mother in her taking over in her joy of seeing her pup finally awake, finally moving, finally breathing easily once more.

It was a special show of affection Emma had not received in quite a long time as her godmother once nuzzled her this way each night when she was a child. They had grown into one another, she and Red, weaving together like a perfectly sewn seam, teaching one another how to love and how to live, when to let go and when to hold on. They had become family, true family, in every part of their hearts.

Emma simply could not help herself as she nuzzled her mother in return and she let out a small giggle, a truly adorable, childlike giggle that instantly took Red back to the days of tucking in her tiny pup with thrilling stories of the wolves and humorous stories of Granny with her crossbow, while she stroked the girl's wild, golden mane. The tall brunette smiled brightly at the sound, her heart swelling exponentially before melting into an adoring puddle. She slipped her arms under the teen's back and gently pulled the princess up into a tight embrace. Emma held onto the woman as tightly as she could and quickly realized that Red was shaking heavily. The blonde teen needed not ask the reason as she knew her adopted mother's fear for her must have been all-consuming and she truthfully had no idea how long she had been unconscious.

She rocked the brunette tenderly to comfort her, both of them taking refuge in the other's arms, the memories of their intensely frightful night in the White Kingdom washing heavily over them both. "Calm your heart, Red," Emma whispered to the woman. "I am here. I am well."

Red shuddered through a heavy sigh as she fought to speak through her now steadily streaming tears. "Please, Emma, do not ever do this to me again," the wolf pleaded with her, though Red knew Emma could never have foreseen the tragic turn of events that nearly led to her death. No one could have foreseen such madness, such treachery. "I thought," she choked on the very thought of which she spoke, "Emma, I thought I had lost you."

"You nearly did," the princess admitted. "I could feel myself slipping away, but I am here now, Mother. I will not leave you." Red pressed a tender kiss to her child's cheek before pulling back and cleaning her face of her tears.

"Let us look at your wound, love," the brunette said as she stood from the small bed and motioned for Emma to lie back once more. The blonde tilted her chin to her chest, straining to see as Red pulled up the thin material covering Emma's stomach. She then peeled away the cloth bandage pressed securely to the princess's wound to reveal an ugly, yet almost entirely closed hole in the blonde's lower abdomen, her flesh lightly gnarled and rippled around it. Emma was fascinated with how clean and well-healed the wound appeared to be. Surely, she had not been unconscious long enough for the wound to heal so thoroughly.

"How long have I been in rest, Red?"

"Three moons only," the brunette answered, sensing the blonde's confusion at the state of the wound. "Regina has truly worked wonders upon you." Emma felt as if the weight of the world had suddenly slammed into her chest as memories flooded her mind once more upon hearing the name of her beloved. The blonde's slender, pale hand shot up to her face, her fingertips tracing her lips reverently as she thought of the chaste, yet powerful kiss she had given the witch, a kiss that had been both Emma's hello as well as her goodbye.

"Regina!" Emma practically shouted and Red let out a loud bark of laughter in response, smiling sweetly up at her goddaughter. "Is she…? Did she…? The kiss…? She has woken?" The blonde was finally able to finish her thought in the form of a full question as Red continued her laughter, chuckling joyfully as she watched the tangled mess that was Emma's combined anxiety, excitement, curiosity, and joy force its way through thin, pink lips.

"Emma!" Red laughed out. "Emma, calm yourself. In answer, yes, Regina woke with your kiss, and she is well, my child; however, she has remained quite withdrawn, though I believe this was born of her fear for you."

"Has she gone?" Emma asked in a panic, aimlessly glancing around the small cabin, her unruly mess of golden curls bouncing around her face and shoulders. "Where is she, Red? Has she left me?"

"Emma, darling, you are going to make yourself ill," the brunette said as she placed a calming hand atop her child's shoulder. "Regina has gone nowhere. She could never leave you, love. You are her life now. You belong to one another." Emma took a deep, steadying breath at Red's words, a smile forming once more on her lips at the thought of belonging to the witch, of the witch belonging to her in return. Nothing had ever warmed and swelled her heart so.

"She has been at your bedside day and night since her waking," Red continued, hoping the information would calm the princess and keep the teen from stirring more and aggravating her wound. "She healed your wound as best she could, though long years have passed since she last performed magic, Emma, and she was unable to fully heal you. Much blood was lost and you slipped into a deep state of unconscious. We have all been awaiting your return to us."

"Where is she, Red? I must see her. I must go to her," Emma pleaded with the wolf.

"She has taken to the woods, my love," Red answered with a sweet smile and a knowing shake of her head. "I implored her to seek fresh air as she had not gone from your side in three moons, but Emma, it would not yet be wise for you to be on your feet. You require rest until you gain enough strength to heal the remains of your wound."

"Please, Red, I must go to her," the princess begged once more. Red narrowed her gaze upon the princess with whom she shared a long, questioning look. The wolf could see the resolve in those shining emerald eyes and knew the teen would go to Regina with or without her permission; therefore, she released a simple sigh and relented.

"Very well, Emma, but please, do not overexert yourself. You need your strength."

Emma practically exploded with her joy. She carefully pulled her body forward to plant a loving kiss atop her godmother's cheek before allowing the brunette to help her rise carefully from the bed that had become her home during her healing slumber. Red walked slowly toward the door of the cabin with the blonde at her side. She opened the battered wooden door for the teen and said, "Regina is just by the stream. And Emma?"

"Yes, Mother?" Emma asked, turning to face the brunette woman.

Red's face lit with a radiant smile reserved only for those times when the blonde blessed her with the precious endearment as she teased the girl. "No running."

Emma stood hidden behind the massive and mossy trunk of a tree just behind the place where her glistening emerald eyes intensely gazed, their focus unwavering, as the princess devoured the sight of the stunning brunette she had ached to see for six long years, as the woman stood still and silent just at the water's edge. The blonde watched as the witch slowly lifted a hand into the beaming rays of the brilliant sun shining down atop the stream, her fingers waving slowly and gracefully through the air as the fallen queen reveled in the sight and feel of the sun on her fingertips, on her flesh, having been deprived of such simple pleasures for nearly two decades.

The princess's gaze swept the length of the witch's body, her long, chocolate locks tied in a simple braid down her back and her stunning figure wrapped snugly in a forest-green tunic the shade of Emma's eyes with tan leather pants fitted into knee-high, leather boots that the blonde recognized as her own. Emma's breath hitched in her throat at the sight. Regina had been beautiful even in ragged prison robes, but now, here, in clothing made to fit her figure and standing as a glowing goddess beneath the brilliant sun, she was breathtaking. Emma had come to know her own body well in recent years as it grew and developed into that of a woman's, and though she knew not the thrill of what it was to share oneself physically with another, she did know that her body, inexperienced as it may be, sang for Regina as a nightingale beneath the pale moon.

In her longing for the woman before her, Emma had unknowingly stepped forward, her body and her soul carrying her to her other half. A loose branch snapped loudly beneath her inattentive feet and the blonde halted suddenly as the most beautiful cocoa eyes shot up to meet her own, and she thought she would surely and happily drown in those dark depths forever.

The once Dark Queen, Regina, stood by the water's edge, basking in the feel of the sun on her skin, of the breeze dancing over her cheeks. Nearly twenty years had come to pass since the brunette witch had last seen the sun, the moon, or the stars. She had longed for the plush greens and comforting browns that adorned the woods and for the echoing and often lullaby sounds of the creatures that dwelled within. She closed her eyes and took it all in, absorbing the moment for the precious blessing it was, the proof of her freedom at long last.

She whirled around at the sound of a snapping twig and her chocolate eyes instantly found green, a tangle of familiar wild and golden locks adorning the face of the young woman who had already saved her life in so many ways. Emma. Her eyes watered at the sight and her heart beat fiercely in her chest. She felt as if she had been waiting millennia for this moment and now that she was well within it, she knew not what to do or say or even how to will her body to move. So, she simply stared.

The blonde had grown so, having become a woman in the six years Regina had spent trapped within her own sleeping curse. The fallen queen took in the hard, yet beautiful angles of the princess's matured face. Her golden hair had grown longer and even more unruly, though still wonderfully suited to the princess, and Regina saw in the emerald eyes she had long ago learned to adore that much life had been lived, many sorrows and much hardship, yet she also saw a fierce determination in those glassy orbs, a burning depth of green fire that spoke to her very soul.

She took in her Soul Mate's tall and lithe form, her body lean and muscled, a testament to the many trials she had endured in the last six years and the adventurous life she had lived, and Regina wanted to know of it all. She longed to know every moment she had missed, both small and grand alike, as she realized she truly no longer knew the blonde, at least not as the woman she had become. But oh, how she longed to know her now and forever, the princess who had woken her with a dying kiss, who had sacrificed all of herself to save the Evil Queen.

The open air surrounding the White Princess and the Dark Queen thickened with words unsaid, emotions unexplored, and movement that had yet to stir. The trembling and tingling connection that drew each ever nearer the other was a tangible presence in the atmosphere, robbing both women of their breath and of her their senses. Both women took a step toward one another, followed by another, then another until they were standing mere inches from each other.

Regina breathed in a deep and steadying breath before slowly stretching forth a graceful hand. Her fingertips slid along a soft tendril of golden hair before pushing the strand just behind the princess's ear. Her other hand followed the first and she cupped the blonde's face tenderly in her palms as they now stood eye-level with one another, Emma even standing at just an inch or two taller than the witch who had once sat upon her knees atop a cold and damp dungeon floor just to meet the young princess's gaze. They were different people now, evolved in their ever-growing bond as destined Soul Mates, both matured and often jaded with their own experiences. Regina trailed her fingertips across Emma's beautiful face as the blonde, herself, stretched forth her own hands to mimic the actions over the fallen queen's darker features, and Regina realized, finally, that this truly had always been their future, their destiny, as they lost themselves in simple touches and the soul-shaking magic of rediscovery.

"Oh Emma," Regina breathed in a whisper, her breath tickling the blonde's face as the princess's heart swelled with the sound of her name on the witch's tongue. She had heard the woman's beautiful, sultry voice only in her dreams for six long years and it now graced her ears like a melody from the gods. "You have grown so, my love."

Gentle tears dropped sweetly and reverently from chocolate and emerald alike as a smile that could melt the sun lit the blonde's face and sank right through the witch's flesh and straight to her heart. "I am a child no longer," Emma whispered, her smile never wavering, never faltering, never ending its beautiful assault on Regina's heart, on her soul, on every lively, buzzing inch of her newly reawakened body as the brunette's eyebrow arched of its own accord.

"Indeed," the witch answered her with a radiant smile of her own.

Emma reached up with shaking hands and pulled Regina's hands into her own, lacing their fingers and tracing the witch's palms with her thumbs. She dove into the comforting cocoa of her beloved's eyes and finally put her trembling fear to equally trembling voice.

"Regina," she whispered tearfully, "am I dreaming this moment?"

Shimmering tears dangled from dark lashes before descending sweetly down tanned cheeks. "No, Emma," Regina told her softly as she pulled the princess's trembling hands to her chest to rest atop her wildly beating heart. "I believe we both have slumbered long enough."

A sob of joy, of relief, of pure and unadulterated love sang from Emma's lips as her witch's words sank beautifully into her. "And now, my love," Regina continued, pulling the princess into an affectionate embrace, "it is time for us to live."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Magic of Memory

A pulse of brilliant energy burst mightily outward from the gentle pressure of brushing lips, filling the small cabin with a radiant light as an echoing gasp decorated the air. The long-cursed witch felt the tingling first in her extremities, her fingers and toes welcoming the blessed reprieve of the draft that swept through the cabin where she lay upon the hard, wooden floor. The wondrous and wonderful feeling traveled, soaring up her arms and legs, cooling the effects of the burning room she still could feel upon her flesh, and finally it touched her neck, her chin, her cheeks, her forehead, like whispered kisses of a wind she had long been denied.

Kisses. The thought stirred in her slowly focusing mind as she reached for an old and new reality, the realm of the conscious, the land of the living, the truly living. Emma.

Regina took in a deep, comforting breath and nearly cried out with the joy of clean air not saturated with the billowing smoke she had grown so accustomed to. She held the breath, letting it churn in her lungs to the point of pain before finally releasing it only to reach for another. Her warm, cocoa eyes fluttered slowly open as the beat of her own heart pulsed rapidly in her ears and in every part with the thought of what she may waken to see, what she hoped to see, who she hoped to see. 

The witch nearly yelped in surprise as her eyes opened fully only to focus not on a mane of golden curls surrounding perfect emerald eyes, but on the hovering blur of a vaguely familiar brunette. Regina had not seen the werewolf, Red, in many years, not since long before her own capture and imprisonment, thus she could not piece together how or why exactly she was seeing her now. She did, however, immediately zero in on the steady rivers marring the wolf's cheeks and the rapid movement of her full lips, though the fallen queen had yet to hear her. 

Panic. Pure, unadulterated panic etched Red's features which only taught Regina's heart to beat faster, beat harder. She pushed herself, pushed her mind to waken fully, to come fully into consciousness once more, and finally the she heard the mantra that moving lips had been rapidly repeating.

"Help her, Regina!" the wolf cried. The witch's eyes widened significantly as she realized someone was desperately in need of aid, her aid, and the sudden sickening twinge in her gut told her exactly who that someone was. "Regina, please, you must heal her! She will die!" 

The fallen queen made to push herself from the hard floor and it was then that she finally took note of the weight that settled heavily against her abdomen and the tickle of tangled curls upon her arm. The dread within her, the terror, grew as a cancer, a burning, weeping infection attacking her very soul. Emma was dying, the princess's life slipping away atop the only person who stood even the slightest chance of saving her, of bringing her back. 

Red, seeing Regina's struggle, helped shift the weighted unconscious form of the fallen princess whose pulse had dangerously slowed, having faded to naught more than a nearly silent flutter in her chest. Regina pushed against the strain of her own long-dormant muscles and forced her body up from the floor. Her panic was tangible matching that of the wolf's if not exceeding it as her gaze finally landed atop her precious princess, dangerously pale and soaked crimson with her own blood. 

"Oh gods, Emma." Regina's voice was ragged and thin having not been used for the better part of a decade. Her chocolate gaze shot to the ebony handle of the dagger protruding from the blonde's abdomen and the witch's stomach rocked and roared at the sight, heavy waves of nausea rolling through her as the heady scent of metallic death devoured the air around them. 

Red reached forward without thought and wrenched the dagger from her godchild's stomach with a squelching sound that only furthered Regina's discomfort. "Heal her!" Red shouted again to the brunette witch, the princess's wound now open and still heavily bleeding, waiting for the healing touch of the fallen queen's magical hands. 

"I…I know not if I can, Red," Regina whispered, unashamed of the audible sob that accompanied the words or the steadily leaking tears that fluently spoke the language of her fear and heartache. "I have not used magic in many years."

"You must, Regina," Red answered her, gripping a strong hand around the witch's shoulder as both a show of support as well as of the dire need that saturated the air, "you must. You are the only one who can save her."

A guttural cry of understanding gurgled in the witch's throat as she nodded. She closed her eyes and willed forth the magic that had lain dormant within her for nearly two decades, magic that now felt ancient and foreign and dead. She greatly feared she would not have the power to call it forth, to project her heart into her hands and heal her beloved princess. Still, she tried with all the might and ferocity that had once fueled her actions when she ruled a kingdom as the infamous Evil Queen. 

Regina reached forth and placed a trembling hand over the steadily bleeding hole in Emma's abdomen and willed forth her magic yet none came to her aid. She continued to cry, her tears ripping hard and fast from eyes that remained clenched tightly closed as internally, she screamed at herself. She screamed for power. She prayed for strength, for this wretched world not to shred her spirit as it long had, not to take from her again the only person who had managed to reawaken her humanity, reawaken her heart. And then, she felt it.

It came to her as a language she had once known so intricately, spoken so effortlessly, but had long forgotten. It came to her in gentle waves of familiarity, spilling up from the depths of her soul, sprinting through her veins until it crackled beautifully atop her palms and fingertips. A strangled cry of joy and relief sprang simultaneously from the witch's and the wolf's lips as the gnarled flesh of Emma's abdomen slowly responded, snipped and mangled pieces reaching for one another as old friends and weaving together once more. 

Through the magic flowing from her fingertips, Regina could feel her princess's heartbeat gaining strength once more and breathed a precious sigh of relief. After long moments, the witch pulled her hand from the nearly closed wound knowing she could do no more. Her magic needed time to grow again, to reacquaint itself with her body and with her soul, and her body needed time to regain its strength. She slumped heavily against Red's chest as the brunette sat only just behind her upon the floor, and the wolf accepted the weight, allowing her own strength and comfort to resonate from within her powerful form into the witch who had only just saved her child's life. 

"She has lost much blood," the fallen queen whispered breathlessly, her energy having greatly waned, draining from her and into the still unconscious blonde. "She requires rest."

Red nodded against the top of the witch's head and Regina suddenly found herself in a crushing embrace from behind, the wolf's arms wrapping tightly around her. Regina surprised herself by accepting the embrace, even leaning into the warmth and comfort of it, and tears slipped once more from her heavily drooping eyes as she heard Red's voice in her ear. "Thank you, Regina."

It had taken nearly an hour's time for Red and Regina to scrub the princess clean of the evidence of all that she had endured, and now Regina, scrubbed clean as well, sat gingerly at Emma's bedside stroking her golden curls and studying her grown and beautiful features. She had been shocked to learn that six full years had passed while she remained under the sleeping curse, though Red spoke not to her of all that had happened. It all seemed too much to speak of as it had been a trying day and all were exhausted. 

Regina had nearly toppled over upon finally noticing the other presence in the cabin and instantly recognizing the terrified features of the blue fairy, no longer a fairy but a fully figured mortal woman. The witch had had to take deep, steadying breaths to prevent herself from lunging at the petite brunette as she realized that much of which she was brutally unaware had transpired over the last six years and the woman before her was no longer the self-righteous, flying pet of the White Queen. Such realizations did little to alleviate the burning rage that crackled forth and into Regina's fingertips, though she managed to restrain herself. She chose to focus, instead, on her princess. Emma needed her. Emma had always and would always need her. It was a responsibility she both feared and adored, but one thing had become quite clear to the fallen queen—she certainly never intended to fail.

"It is much to absorb," Red's voice sounded from behind her and Regina turned to find the wolf watching them with a gentle smile stretching her full lips. Regina studied the tall brunette for a long moment before nodding gently.

"It is, yes," the witch answered softly. "I have no understanding of all that has happened in the last six years. I know not where we are or how we came to be here, Red. The last I saw of Emma, she was but a child I had grown to adore, and now, she is grown, a beautiful young woman who nearly died in my arms from a wound I know not how she acquired. I feel so lost." 

Regina could not believe the words that were tumbling from her supple lips. She could not fathom how or why she was displaying such vulnerability to a woman she had never known well and who she previously only knew as the dearest friend of her mortal enemy, the raven-haired queen who had taken nearly twenty years of her life—that wretched Snow White. However, the words spilled simply from her without effort or thought. Somehow, Regina felt comforted by the wolf as if she had always known her, as if the two of them were true friends. Red felt strangely so familiar to her. She felt like family. 

"I would imagine so," Red replied, her heart aching for the pain, sadness, and utter confusion that was so clearly etched into the fallen queen's features. "There is much to tell, much for you to learn of."

"How is that I am comforted by you so?" Regina asked, aching for answers to the endless questions devouring her brain. "Why is that I feel as if I know you, somehow, that I feel as if we are family?"

Red was truly taken aback by this. She had not expected such openness from the fallen queen, such vulnerability, yet she was delighted by the humanity in Regina, by the softer, sweeter side shown now that had remained hidden from the world much of the witch's life. In this moment, she could see the woman's heart and understood her child's great, unwavering trust in and love of the witch. That is how the answer came to her, the thought of Emma's love for the woman who now pleaded with the wolf for answers, conjured forth all that the princess had long ago told her of the magic and connection of Soul Mates.

"You feel as Emma feels," Red answered sweetly, smiling as she thought of her child's beautiful and open heart. "She is my family, my godchild and my child. You feel this bond within you because Emma's soul now resides in yours. When she kissed you to wake you from your curse, her soul was reunited with yours, Regina. She has grown much and now has many of her own experiences to impart upon you, within you."

Soul Mates. A beautiful smile of understanding lit the witch's face as Red's words sank into her and she remembered all that she had long ago learned of her connection to her princess. Still, Regina longed for further knowledge, further understanding.

"And Emma," Red continued softly, "she has grown more than you know. She has taken and learned much from the influence of your soul, Regina. She has become more powerful than you can imagine." This only further stirred Regina's intrigue, inspiring her to rise slowly from her position at the princess's side and cross the small room to stand before the tall brunette.

"You can help me to understand, Red," Regina told the wolf, her eyes and voice pleading with the woman. "You can help me to learn of her, of you, of all that has happened while I have been in slumber."

"How?" Red asked, knowing without doubt that she was willing to help the witch in whatever way possible as the woman had saved the life of her precious Emma, her child, her pup. 

"You can allow me to share your memories," Regina told her. "It is simple magic, but you must be willing to open your mind and heart fully to me. You must trust me."

"I do," the tall brunette answered her without hesitation which surprised the witch.

"You do?"

Red smiled softly and sweetly at the fallen queen, a quiet chuckle slipping through her beautifully stretched lips. "You have much to learn, Regina. Share my memories. Take what you need."

Regina's heart swelled in her chest at being trusted so openly, so fully by one other than her princess. It had been so achingly long since she had known the comfort of friendship, of companionship, yet she felt she truly possessed it now with the kind and open heart of the woman before her. The witch nodded before stepping well within Red's personal space and was pleased so see the wolf did not flinch with the action. Regina reached forward with tender hands, cupping Red's cheeks and pulling the tall brunette's head gently forward and down to rest the woman's forehead against her own. She called forth her magic once more as her mind reached for the wolf's memories and the knowledge that would accompany them.

Both women gasped as images flooded forth behind their closed eyes, shared along the magical bond that now flowed between their touching flesh. The pictures of the past flickered madly behind their eyes, sprinting through the many minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months that composed the six long years Red had shared with the golden-haired princess. 

Regina watched the scenes play out before her and tears streamed steadily from beneath her closed eyes. A weak, starved, and dehydrated child Emma curling into Red's comforting arms in a hidden, hollowed tree. Emma pleading not to return to her parents' castle. Emma sharing through tears, the story of her mother's betrayal, of her connection to her cursed witch, and the ages-old magic of destined Soul Mates. Emma waking in a jolt, screaming in the wake of her nightmares as her adopted wolf mother rocked and soothed her. Emma walking through the woods hand-in-hand with Red, telling animated stories of the Evil Queen. Emma's tiny form engulfed in swirling purple smoke, teleporting the two of them from place to place, caves to woods to beaches to abandoned shacks and cabins. Emma bouncing excitedly on her toes as her godmother carved her a child-sized bow from the bark of a tree. Emma trying and failing to land an arrow in a target before trying again and again and again, the fierce determination in her eyes never wavering. A slightly older, eleven-year-old Emma sprinting madly from a small village alongside her godmother as soldiers pounded the dirt in pursuit of them before the two, wolf and princess, disappeared in a swirl of purple. Emma walking along a narrow path in the woods pointing to various plants around her and naming them and their uses excitedly to Red who praised her for a job well done. Emma crying heavily over her first successful kill, her tears dripping onto the body of the arrow-pierced squirrel in her hands as she quietly thanked the animal for its sacrifice. Emma standing before her godmother, her hands splayed wide and stretched forward as purple electricity jumped the spaces between her fingers and a brilliant smile lit the girl's precious face. Emma stroking the massive muzzle of a brown wolf beneath the full moon. A twelve-year-old Emma giggling wildly as she sat atop her godmother's hips, hands lifted in the air as she conjured a rain of flower petals down upon a smiling Red. Emma weeping and screaming for strength, for Regina to help her, as she struggled to find the magic to heal her godmother's bleeding wound as the woman lay panting beneath the weight of a heavy, jagged rock in a ravine surrounded by terrifyingly rugged terrain. Emma, emerald eyes fierce and focused, spinning poised and precise as she sent several small daggers soaring through the air to sink perfectly into makeshift targets as Red clapped and cheered in the background. Emma levitating as her eyes blazed bright and purple. Emma conjuring rain and fire. Emma commanding the branches of surrounding trees, her face a perfect picture of determination and awe. A thirteen-year-old Emma. A fourteen-year-old Emma. A fifteen-year-old Emma. A sixteen-year-old Emma. Clashing swords, wicked smirks, swirling purple smoke, whizzing arrows, haunting cries, joyful laughter, fierce embraces, terrifying beasts, narrow escapes, tender moments, angry outbursts of voice and magic; Emma, Emma, Emma. 

Regina pulled swiftly back from Red, her breathing heavy and her tears devouring her cheeks. Red's own features mirrored the witch's as they had both been absorbed in the flooding memories. There was so much to take in, so much to learn, so much to see, and so much to understand. Regina had been stunned by the memories, by the pure mystery, miracle, and marvel that was her precious princess.

"She is magnificent," Regina breathed, her voice a whisper of awe and reverence. 

"Indeed, she is," Red whispered in return, though her soft smile slipped ominously from her lips as she prepared herself for what she was about to do. "Regina, there is one other memory you need to see."

"Oh?" Regina prompted her, though she feared the grave expression now painting her new friend's features.

"You need to see how Emma came to be wounded," Red continued, her anger rekindling in her veins as she thought of the night that had only just transpired. "You need to see this past night, the night we came for you." Regina took a deep, steadying breath before nodding to the wolf and leaning back in to connect their foreheads once more.

The images rushed behind their eyes again, and tears leaked already from Red's eyes as she knew all that she was about to see, all that they, especially Emma, had endured to rescue the very cursed witch who was now about to witness every painful and terrifying moment of their journey and the trials within. 

Red's knowledge and experience of that terrible night filled the witch's mind. She saw the trio that was Emma, Red, and Blue standing in the former fairy's quaint cottage as the princess donned light armor before casting glamouring spells on the lot of them. She watched as purple smoke cleared to reveal a serene and beautiful beach beneath a full moon. Regina then gasped as she witnessed the sheer power that was a disguised Emma in action, shattering illusion charms with the guidance of her former fairy godmother and spinning wildly and fiercely beneath a fiery rain to protect her two companions. Emma being knocked forcefully from her feet with the heavy blow of an enchanted branch as Red cried out for her, sprinting to scoop up the bleeding princess and speeding across the terrain, leaping over and ducking under massive, swinging branches. Regina could practically taste the magic in the air and feel the sweat dripping down the women's backs and brows, the blood painting Emma's hair as she lifted a shaking hand to heal the ugly wound of her temple. Tears streamed from closed, chocolate eyes as destruction painted the space beneath her eyelids, blood spraying across a makeshift battlefield before an enchanted cavern as Red howled and lunged, her massive wolf form ripping soldiers limb from limb as a tall warrior with Regina's own chocolate locks and cocoa eyes fought alongside the wolf, her sword piercing armor and slicing through flesh with deadly precision. 

Regina then watched as the reigning king and queen, James and Snow, appeared on horseback calling for their men to halt their attack. She saw her own seemingly lifeless form being pulled from a glass coffin by the princess before disappearing in a swirl of purple magic. She watched as Red faced the king and queen, and tears of surprise dropped heavily from Regina's eyes as she heard the wolf, turned human again, shame the White Queen, defend the Dark Queen, and claim the golden princess as her own precious child. She watched the King lunge forward in attack and Red's naked and powerful form forcibly knock the man onto his back as the White Queen drew her bow and the wolf stood protectively in front of the former fairy that was Blue. The witch watched as the fallen King ripped an ebony-handled dagger from his belt before delivering it in a forceful throw aimed at the tall brunette just as a swirling cloud of purple and a flash of golden curls engulfed Red's vision before all went black. And then they were back in the cabin, that same ebony-handled dagger jutting angrily from the princess's gut as the wolf screamed her panic. The last image to flash through the bond was that of the bleeding princess crawling desperately across the floor to a slumbering Regina and whispering words of love before pressing her bloodied lips to witch's own.

Regina's gasp was sharp cry that echoed through the cabin as she pulled back from her connection to the tall brunette. Magic crackled and rang through the air as the witch's anger assaulted her every cell and electric sparks of purple danced on her flesh. She locked eyes fiercely with Red as the wolf's posture went rigid with her own fury. As magic danced dangerously in the thickened air of their small home, Red and Regina shared a look that spoke volumes of their intent, a shared and dangerous vow. A vow of retribution.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Again and Anew

Regina and Emma walked along the bank of the freshwater stream that ran through the woods just behind the small, well-hidden cabin that Red and Emma now shared with the witch, the stream where they had been beautifully reunited only days prior. As they strolled along together, Emma swirled her hands through the air, flicking her wrists and conjuring tiny bursts of light and color to pop and fizzle wondrously around them in the forest air as the brunette witch laughed fully and beautifully at the show. The sound of Regina's laughter danced on the princess's skin before sinking through the flesh to ignite the blood in her veins and fuel the rapidly beating melody of her heart. Emma knew she would happily live or die inside that sound a thousand times.

The princess and her beloved witch had spent nearly every waking moment of the past few days in each other's company. Emma's strength grew exponentially after that first day at the stream, fueled by their reunion and the ever-blooming love in her heart, and she was able to fully heal her wound soon after. Every moment she spent with Regina since only made her long for another and another. It was as if the woman had come to be the very breath in the princess's lungs, keeping her gloriously alive. She was devoutly and eternally in love with the fallen queen, and her soul, so intricately woven with the brunette's, praised the feeling, encouraged it, demanded it even.

Emma echoed the witch's laugher before letting her arms softly fall and as they did, she smoothly slid her hand over and into Regina's, lacing their fingers together as lingering magic still sparked and tingled on the princess's skin. She closed her eyes at the feeling of Regina's flesh brushing beautifully against her own as the brunette squeezed her hand affectionately. There was truly nothing like this feeling, Emma thought. It devoured her from the inside out. Everything had always been and continued to be so much more with the fallen queen. Every shared gaze, every burst of laughter, every tear of joy or sadness, every touch, and every word voiced between them was like a symphony of brilliant color and dancing light, of soulful pleasure and wholehearted delight. Anything, everything, was precious and decadent and deliriously wonderful.

What is it you are thinking of, dear? Regina's undyingly beautiful voice whispered in Emma's head as they continued their stroll, hand-in-hand, silent and reveling in the feeling of being together again and anew.

If you are inside my mind, should you not already know? Emma answered as she shot a playful grin in the brunette's direction.

If you wish to share, then I wish to listen, but I would never deny you your privacy, Emma, Regina replied softly.

I have no need of privacy, my love, Emma returned and Regina's heart swelled upon hearing the term of endearment directed at her. I keep nothing from you. All that I am and all that I have is yours, Regina. 

The witch was but a willing puddle in the princess's hands as Emma's words beautifully melted her from the inside out. Her love for the blonde somehow grew ever more with each passing sun and moon until Emma devoured Regina's whole being, her every cell, her entire world. They had shared only tender embraces and gentle brushes of hands and cheeks, and deep and lingering conversation, but every moment had been etched and engraved upon Regina's heart, seared into her memory as they rediscovered one another and found each other anew. The princess was an entirely different person and yet, in many ways, she was the same—beautifully open, trusting, and kind, and with every new and wonderful moment they shared, Regina had come to realize that her feelings for this stunning young woman had grown deeper and more profound, evolving from simple, innocent affection and adoration, to soul-shaking admiration, romance, and desire.

They had yet to explore a physical relationship beyond sweet and innocent touches and their lips had yet to touch since that fateful night when a dying Emma had awoken Regina from a powerful curse with a magical kiss. Regina, though, could feel the moment growing ever nearer as she could ignore not the tingling sparks that ignited across her flesh at Emma's touch or the nearly painful pressure that built in the base of her spine when that stunning emerald gaze seared into her or when the two women shared delicate air with mere inches of torturous space between them. She longed for it, longed to eradicate the spaces between them and fill them instead with the passion that had grown so fiercely within her.

My thoughts were of you. Emma's voice filtered through Regina's mind once more, shaking her from her thoughts.

As mine were of you, Regina admitted with a soft and shy smile as she wondered if they had been thinking along the same lines and hoped Emma's passion for her burned as brightly and as fiercely as her own did for the princess.

A long silence followed, thickening the air with its beautiful tension as the two women continued to walk hand-in-hand beneath a brilliant sun shining warmly atop their heads and glistening across the stream that ran alongside them. Their unspoken thoughts decorated the space between them until Regina thought she might actually explode with the tension, but the fallen queen kept her composure. She wanted only to be perfect for Emma, to move slowly and delicately as she further came to know the beautiful blonde.

It was my first, Emma said quietly and Regina positively adored the bashful hint that decorated the princess's voice, matching the crimson blush that tinted Emma's cheeks. She wondered as to what precisely her love was referring, though she guessed of the manner of the subject given Emma's shy approach.

What was your first, dear? 

Our kiss, Emma answered her, her blush only deepening. The kiss I gave to wake you, it was my first. Regina smiled sadly at that. She so longed for that not to be true. She wanted for Emma all the beauty and wonder that a first kiss should truly be, a kiss shared with the one person who brightens your soul and dizzies your mind. She wished she could have given her princess a proper first kiss, one filled with only passion and promise rather than desperate hope and waning life.

I am sorry for that, Emma, Regina whispered into the blonde's mind.

I am not, Emma answered instantly with not a hint of hesitation, her tone fiercely resolute. That kiss altered my life. It saved you and brought you back to me so that you, in turn, could save me as well. I could feel it in every part of my body even as I was dying. I know not how any kiss could ever be more precious or more powerful than that. 

Regina drew in a heavy, shuddering breath as tears slipped from her gorgeous cocoa eyes. Her entire body caught fire in the wake of Emma's words as they danced in lingering echoes inside her head and her every cell buzzed with life and unimaginable depths of love. Had the princess truly felt so utterly and beautifully moved by a kiss that Regina was helpless even to return?

The witch quaked in her boots as she let her emotions run rampant in her veins and fill every inch of her. She glanced to her right to study the marvel that was her Soul Mate and saw that Emma's eyes were softly closed as they walked together, her lips tilted into a simple smile that spoke to Regina's soul. You are so beautiful, Regina whispered inside her mind, the words jumping forth unbidden but true all the same.

Emma's simple smile only grew and her eyes flickered slowly open. She halted their stroll and turned to face her love, taking both of Regina's hands in her own as she settled her burning emerald gaze on hypnotizing brown. As are you, my love, Emma returned as they stared into one another, their lips never moving with their silently voiced words. How is it your beauty is so unscathed, Regina? Your features remain the same even after all this time. Even in the portrait hidden within the castle where I learned of your identity, you appeared as you do now, entirely untouched by time and still perfectly stunning.

Regina laughed out loud at the question, knowing she had never shared her little secret with her beloved, and realizing now how bewildering the endurance of her appearance must seem. She squeezed Emma's hands affectionately before divulging the secret of her undying youth, the truth of the spell her mother had long ago cast upon her.

Emma gasped her surprise upon learning the truth. You will never age? She asked in awe and reverence of the ever-surprising feats that magic could accomplish.

I will not, Regina answered her. I am forever frozen as I was when I married the king, your grandfather, at only eighteen.

Emma's eyes only widened further with the information. So, physically, you have naught but two years more than I?

The witch arched an eyebrow playfully and a teasing smirk perked the corners of her mouth as she laughed softly inside her head. Physically, that is true, yes.

The princess's thoughts echoed Regina's laughter as she realized the eager tone that had decorated her voice, and she quickly fought to amend any implications. It matters not, Regina, as our souls are the same. Our love is beyond time.

Regina's breath hitched in her throat as the blonde's words dug into her once more, her eyes shuttering closed in the wake of tender and loving confessions that never failed to shock and stun her. She had never known such care and affection. She had never known such powerful attraction, such soulful yearning. It literally and wonderfully stole her breath on nearly every beautiful occasion.

Indeed, it is, she whispered softly, her voice barely audible in the princess's mind. Regina then heard a brilliant pop and quickly opened her eyes only to find her gaze drawn to the ground that surrounded them and upon which they stood. Every inch of a wide circle of the forest floor surrounding where they stood facing one another was beautifully covered in flowers of every shade and every shape.

Regina laughed out loud with her joy as she took it all in. She had never known such romance, simple magic as it may be, and it overwhelmed her, her laughter mingling with tender tears that trailed her cheeks.

I love your laughter, Emma practically sang in Regina's mind as she suddenly let go of the witch's hands only to latch onto her hips and pull the fallen queen flush against her. Regina's laughter quickly died in her throat, replaced with a gasp of surprise as her body instantly caught fire against Emma's own. They stayed this way many long moments, simply staring into one another, reveling in the feeling of finally having distinguished the spaces that had always lived between them.

Regina reached up with trembling hands, resting one gently upon her beloved's fair cheek and cupping the other tenderly around the back of Emma's warm and graceful neck. She searched the princess's gaze as she whispered softly in the blonde's mind, repeating her earlier question. What is it you are thinking of, Emma? 

I believe you know, the princess answered her, a blazing emerald fire burning in her gaze.

Regina gulped audibly as she nodded, answering, I believe I do. 

With those final whispered words, Regina pulled forth her beloved Soul Mate to devour the final air between them, and the Dark Queen and the White Princess met inside the body-rocking and soul-shattering pressure of their first fully shared and equally powerful kiss.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Family Comes in Many Forms

"And you truly believe this plan will work?" Blue asked as she emerged from the bedroom at the back of her cottage. The former fairy was dressed in a simple, yet lovely gown of a shade dark as night, the color of mourning. "You truly believe we might succeed?"

Red looked up from where she stood sweeping the shattered remains of the mirror Blue had used to study the faux features Emma had glamoured upon her only three weeks prior to this day. They knew not for certain how the White Queen had come to learn of their journey to the cavern that fateful night in which she had ridden to meet them, yet they had done away with all that they could think of, all material possessions that may have afforded the reigning monarchs a way to spy upon their activities. Just as she was about to respond, however, a commanding voice rang through the room, announcing the presence of the fallen queen and answering the petite brunette's question.

"It will work," Regina spoke clearly and confidently as she made her way from the tiny spare room just to the right of the room from which Blue had only just appeared. "I know Snow White well." She gritted her teeth to bite back the disdain she felt at the thought of the raven-haired woman. "She is owned by her emotions. They blind her. It is her greatest weakness, and it is the driving force with which she makes all decisions. It prevents her from seeing logic, from thinking rationally. If we are to shatter her denial, we must play on her weakness. We must use her emotions against her."

"Regina!" Red said breathlessly as if she had not heard a single word the brunette witch had spoken. Blue now stood at the wolf's side, just as wide-eyed as Red as they took in the sight of the fallen queen. Regina stood just before them in a stunningly elegant, uniquely regal, and devilishly seductive corseted gown fit purely for royalty. Rich velvet, black as night and lined with a shimmering silver trim, hugged tightly to the witch's curves as her soft, chocolate locks sat elegantly atop her head in a sleek and tight, twisting up-do. Her makeup, dark and telling with deep charcoal shades lent well to the beauty of her warm, brown eyes. She had summoned the gown from her former castle and was surprised to find it had actually still been there after nearly twenty years. In that moment, she appeared as every bit the infamous Evil Queen she once had been.

"Yes?" Regina asked, confusion lighting her eyes as she took in the gaping jaws of the two brunettes before her. The two only met her inquiry with further silence and wide-eyes. "Well?" She prompted them again, and finally the wolf and the former fairy snapped from their reverie.

Red cleared her throat harshly and stuttered out, "You—That is—" She cleared her throat once more before trying again and finally succeeding. "Black suits you." Blue nodded at Red's side as both suddenly attempted to avert their gazes from the witch. The sight of her in such attire was both incredibly alluring as well as terrifying as such an image stirred memories of the woman's dark and powerful reign. A wicked smirk pulled at the corners of Regina's mouth as she glanced down at herself before propping her hands authoritatively on her hips. She fought to hold in the chuckle that longed to escape and just as she was about to reply, her beloved's voice sang beautifully through the cottage.

"Indeed it does," the princess announced and all in the room turned to find her propped gently against the frame of an open door that led to the woods at the back of Blue's cottage. The blonde had been out most of the morning hunting and had only just returned. Regina locked gazes with her Soul Mate and saw naught but a burning hunger in those fiery emerald eyes, which only stirred her body into buzzing, aching life. Her eyes swept the figure of her love and took in the thin and flowing white tunic that decorated the blonde's torso beautifully beneath a thick leather belt adorned with daggers of varying sizes and sinfully tight, tan leather pants that painted long, slender legs ending in brown, leather boots. Regina's hunger matched that which she saw in the princess's eyes. It was a bone-deep hunger they had yet to sate; however, with nearly every glance they shared and certainly with every steadily more feverish kiss, it seemed only a matter of time before their unexpressed desires consumed them fully.

Regina's smirk only grew and she arched a teasing eyebrow at her princess before playfully replying, "Yes well, only the best for my love, even if it is in mourning."

"Yes, such a tragedy, the passing of the princess," Emma played along. "I am most positive she would have rather enjoyed your attire."

"Would she?" Regina flirted, unable to stop the smile from blooming brightly upon her face as she attempted to maintain her composure though her body was burning, aching for Emma's touch.

"Oh, I am quite sure of it," the princess answered.

Red cleared her throat loudly to break the growing tension in the air, the electricity practically arcing the distance between her child and the fallen queen. "Emma," she said, her voice doing little to distract the two women from one another, "as thrilled as I am by your happiness, I am still your mother. Perhaps you should visit with your queen in a more private setting?"

Emma only smirked at the wolf's words before answering in a way that surprised them all. "Yes, well, Mother, perhaps you should say this to me again when you are not so distracted with admiring the abundance of my love's many flattering…assets." Red choked audibly on her own saliva as it suddenly caught tightly in her throat spurring on a fit of shallow coughing and her fair cheeks flushed a deep crimson as the witch, the former fairy, and the princess all burst into a gleeful fit of laughter.

Red marched swiftly across the room and smacked her pup playfully upon the arm, though she smiled brightly as the princess grabbed her hand and pulled her into a crushing embrace. Emma planted several small kisses on her mother's cheek, still laughing merrily, and nuzzled her nose into the wolf's shining brunette locks before finally letting the woman go, who then only shook her head with a grin and ran a loving hand through wild, golden curls before crossing the room once more.

Regina's heart swelled at the show of affection between her beloved and the wolf who had become Emma's adopted mother. Through the bond of their joined souls, Regina could feel the strength of the love Emma shared with Red, and the witch cherished the beautiful relationship they shared. The wolf had taken wonderful care of her love when she had been long unable and was fiercely protective which only furthered Regina's respect for the tall brunette.

"You see what you will have to live with, Regina," Blue teased the witch, and Regina swiftly met the petite brunette's gaze. Though she had long felt for the former fairy nothing beyond utter disdain, she had come to know the woman quite well in the weeks past, and once she had learned of how Blue had saved Emma's life, Regina had softened exponentially. In fact, they had developed quite the friendship, which still profoundly shocked the witch when she truly allowed herself to think on it. Oh, how Emma had changed her. The four of them had all become quite the tight-knit family and it felt true. It felt right. It felt real, and that was a feeling the witch had known not in more years than she cared to recall.

Regina smiled softly at the former fairy and dryly replied, "Yes, whatever will I do."

Take a walk with me, love? Emma's voice whispered inside Regina's head while the fallen queen carried on with the other two. Regina shot a brief yet brilliant smile in the blonde's direction followed by a swift nod before turning back as Emma's godmother then began to speak.

"You will love and protect Emma with every breath," Red growled playfully though of course she meant every word, "or you will answer to me."

"Yes dear," Regina said with a bright smile before shaking her head and crossing the room to follow Emma out of the cottage through the door where the princess had earlier appeared.

Emma devoured the sight of her beloved as Regina walked just ahead of her. They strayed not far from the cottage as Regina, Red, and Blue would soon be departing on their mission, but the princess had desired a moment alone with the witch before their departure. She had much to say, though now, as she gazed at the brunette, her words were entirely lost to her. Her body vibrated with her hunger for the woman and every part of her ached for every part of Regina. She longed to touch her, consume her entirely. In that moment, it was a longing unlike any she had ever known.

"Emma, you are aware that I can hear your thoughts, yes?" Regina asked teasingly as she turned to face her love, a knowing smile stretching her full lips. Emma only smiled in return and slowly nodded.

"And you are well aware of my lifelong infatuation with the Evil Queen, are you not?" she countered.

Regina laughed aloud, the sound beautifully singing in the air and dancing atop the princess's fair skin. "I am," she answered. "In fact, what was it you once told me? Oh yes, she was your lover." When that particular word rolled across the witch's tongue, an electric shudder rippled down the blonde's back and pooled in an aching knot at the base of her spine as a heavy blush painted her cheeks. Regina chuckled at the sight though her own body had heated exponentially. "I assume you now know the true meaning of such a term?"

Emma gulped audibly and whispered, "I do."

Their eyes met in a fierce and burning gaze as the air thickened tangibly around them, both women wrestling with the aching tension that filled their bodies and their souls. Emma took a lively step forward and though it purely thrilled the witch, Regina summoned every ounce of restraint she could muster and swiftly raised a hand, magically freezing the princess in place. "Now is not the time, my love," she said softly as she stepped well within the frozen blonde's space before dropping her arm to release the enchantment. She lifted a graceful hand to cup her palm around her Soul Mate's cheek and added in a sultry whisper, "Soon."

Emma and Regina spent the following hour discussing their plan as the princess voiced her concerns for the safety of her witch, of her beloved mother, and of her former fairy godmother. She would not be traveling with them and the dread of being unable to be there as the trio of brunettes carried out their delicately designed scheme stirred uncomfortably in her gut.

"You will be safe?" she asked quietly as her thumb unconsciously rubbed soothing circles atop the back of Regina's hand held firmly in her own.

"Fear not, darling," Regina answered her as she pressed a chaste yet loving kiss to the princess's lips. "I shall return to you. We all shall."

Emma wrapped Blue in a tight embrace before turning to plant an affectionate kiss atop her wolf-mother's cheek. She locked gazes with her beloved and nodded as they had already exchanged their temporary goodbyes with tender, private kisses and a warming embrace.

"Right then, are we ready?" Red, now dressed in a beautiful ebony gown of her own, asked the two brunettes on both sides of her whose hands clasped hers tightly and the two only nodded in answer.

"You have the potion, Blue?" Regina asked quickly.

"I do," the former fairy answered and patted the small lump just under the neckline of her dress.

"Very well," the witch said. "Let us be off, then." She shared another loving gaze with her princess before closing her eyes, and Emma watched as within seconds all that remained of the trio who had only just stood before her was a swirling cloud of purple smoke.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The King's Treason

Snow White's heart throbbed achingly in her chest, its once-vibrant and jubilant pulse now reduced to a slow yet violent clenching that offered her no respite. She stared deeply into her own reflection, noting the darkened circles that cradled her now lackluster emerald eyes, evidence of her many sleepless nights. She realized as she took in her crumbling features that she no longer recognized herself. She knew not who she was, who she had become. Her many damning decisions over the last six years had surely not been her own, not as she once would have made them.

Her possessiveness of her daughter paired with her driving need to maintain power over her former step-mother had led her down a path of self-destruction. She had denied vital truths to satisfy her own selfish desires, her own aching insecurities. She had reduced herself, lowered herself to that which she had always despised, using dark magic to ensure her own victory under the unconvincing pretense that she had done so out of love, out of the noble obligation and desire to protect her own; she had needed to believe herself as pure of heart as she had always been.

Once Emma had fled the castle, fled from her and what she had done, Snow had only fallen further into her denial, into her desperation. She felt as if she had aged decades in the six years that decorated Emma's absence and she had watched herself deteriorate from the inside out, the loss of her daughter throbbing loudly in her every cell. She could accept not what she had done, that it had been she to drive her own child away, and so she buried the burden atop the only person she reasoned should bear it, placing the blame upon the witch who had been the driving force of darkness in Snow's life for so long. She had been satisfied with doing so, allowing her memories of Regina's many wicked deeds to fuel her delusion, and as she did so, her bitterness and her resolve only grew throughout the following years.

The White Queen closed her eyes as the words of her once-dearest friend, Red, pounded like a war drum in the forefront of her mind. The wolf had shattered so many of Snow's delusions, delusions that had been vital to her continued self-respect, to her continued resolve, and to her continued emotional and mental survival. Yet, even in the echoing wake of Red's painfully true observations, Snow had simply been unable to let go of her bitterness, let go of her pain. She stood by her decisions even as the nauseating truth of their selfish origins and devastating results churned in her stomach, gnawing at her insides. She had paved the path to her own wretched heartache, the demise of her purity. The reigning queen opened her eyes to focus again on her tired reflection and only a single, simple, yet powerful thought rose in her mind. You are a fool, Snow White. 

The raven-haired woman was then suddenly shaken from her silent and steadily downward-spiraling reflections by a heavy knock upon the door of her royal bedchamber. She sighed deeply and the sound escaped her as that of a ragged breath from a dying soul, before calling to the source of the interruption. "Enter," she announced, and the heavy door pushed quickly open to reveal one of her many royal guards.

He bowed respectfully before announcing the arrival of unexpected guests. "My Queen, the wolf, Red, and the banished Fae, Blue, have arrived at the castle. They seek counsel with you as well as with the King."

Snow's aching heart stirred wildly in her chest, fluttering with the rhythm of its simultaneous wonder and fear. She had certainly not been expecting a visit, especially not one from the two women who had helped her refugee daughter defy her rule by rescuing the fallen queen, Regina, from a cursed slumber she herself had induced. Dread spilled forth from her pounding heart into her veins, chilling her blood and inducing a panic as she remembered that fateful night just three weeks prior.

She had watched that night, stunned, as her beloved husband had launched an angry attack upon their child's godmother, fueled by his own bitter anger, and she too had seen the flash of golden hair amidst a cloud of purple as her daughter's magic devoured the two brunettes as well as the dagger thrown fiercely from the King's own hand. They knew not what had become of the three, though the White Queen and King had been utterly horrified by the turn of events, and not a sun or moon since had Snow gone without seeking out her enchanted mirror and begging for images of the princess, of Red, or even of Blue to relieve her of her grief, of her profound worry. No such images, however, had ever come. She saw only her own reflection.

"Very well," she said quietly to the guard. "Please see our guests to the throne room. The King and I shall be along shortly."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard answered with another respectful bow before retreating from the queen's chamber to see to the two brunettes who waiting anxiously several floors below.

Regina, adept in her magic once more after having allowed herself much practice with her powerful princess, teleported herself, Red, and Blue to a shadowed cluster of trees just off the path that lead to the southern gate of the White Castle. She glanced around to ensure that they were indeed alone and unseen before turning swiftly to the two other women.

"Once you have requested counsel, our plan should fall quickly into place," she said with confidence.

"What if the queen denies us counsel?" Blue asked, ringing her hands as she glanced nervously around. They certainly were playing with fire given the wrath she had witnessed from the King in their last encounter. The former fairy had been utterly shocked to see the man viciously attack a woman he once had greatly respected, a woman who had not only saved his wife's life on more than one occasion, but who had also taken well care of his daughter over the last six years.

"She will accept your request of counsel, Blue," Regina answered her assuredly. "Of this, I am quite sure. If I know Snow, and I well do, her guilt will have devoured her by now. She will be unable to deny her own curiosity. She will be eager for news of the princess."

"Once you have been granted counsel, you must be convincing in your sorrow," she continued. "You both must be."

"I have only to recall that night to be convincing," Red responded, tears already prickling at the corners of her beautiful brown eyes, "as we came well close to truly and actually losing her." Red, Regina, and Blue then shared a long moment of silence, all of them silently recalling the princess's sickly pallor and the steady flow of crimson that coated her stomach, her hands, and her lips as she fought for her life just long enough to save her beloved witch. Tears now lingered on all their lashes as Regina cleared her throat thickly.

"Very well," she said with a nod, her voice slightly breathless with her own memories of that night. "I shall see you both soon then." She hesitated a moment before adding, "Be safe," as her affection for the two women struck her heavily in that moment.

The wolf and the former fairy nodded before stepping onto the narrow dirt path and beginning their short trek to the southern gate of the castle. Regina watched them go only a moment before closing her eyes and disappearing in a cloud of magic once more and reappearing upon a balcony just off of the White Castle's throne room. She quickly cloaked herself with an invisibility enchantment before moving to open the large glass windows of the balcony only a crack so that she might listen in and observe upon the scene she knew would soon be unfolding.

Red and Blue stiffened and steadied themselves as the castle herald's voice boomed unnecessarily through the open throne room. The massive doors at the back of the throne room swung open to reveal the reigning monarch's poised regally hand-in-hand in its arch.

"Their Royal Majesties, King James and Queen Snow!" he cried as man and wife stepped forward and ascended the dais to be seated atop their matching thrones. Both the wolf and the former fairy were surprised by the show of formality given they had both once been personal friends of the monarchs. Such history had obviously been dismissed this day however, and Red assumed that James had insisted that he and Snow make a display of their royal status, a play and reminder of their rule and power. It was a desperate move that only proved the man's continued denial of his own treacherous and truly despicable behavior that all present had witnessed just three weeks prior.

Snow observed the two brunettes from where she sat poised upon her throne. Her heart still beat madly in her chest, her fear only magnified by the dark attire that adorned her old friends. Both Red and Blue were dressed in purely black, the color of mourning, and a vicious lump suddenly soared up the White Queen's throat only to lock fiercely in place and threaten her to choking. She zeroed in on Red's face, her features twisted into an obvious display of pain, and Snow's vision blurred as she noticed the glistening tears dancing in the woman's eyes and trailing her cheeks. She fought to remain conscious as the pieces of the puzzle slammed forcefully into place without a single word having ever been voiced.

Oh gods, she thought. This surely cannot be happening. 

"What business have you with us?" James asked, his voice booming authoritatively throughout the massive room.

Red allowed her memories of how close she had well come to losing her child flood through her once more and as she made to speak, her voice cracked audibly. "We—" Blue placed a comforting hand atop the wolf's arms and spoke in her place though tears now streaked the former fairy's cheeks as well.

"The princess has fallen," she announced to the monarchs and a bone-chilling wail of a sob wrenched from Snow White's throat, the sound sending icy chills down both brunettes' spines. Red swallowed her guilt of the moment by summoning her resolve, reminding herself of what they had set out to accomplish this day just as Blue delivered another blow. "She is slain."

The White Queen clutched her chest fiercely, nearly ripping through the material of her royal attire as tears tore from her emerald eyes, running over her parted lips now gasping desperately for air. Red so longed to comfort her old friend, hating the tortured expression that painted her fair features. It was a cruel act, indeed, yet they feared anything less would fail to reach the woman they once knew so well before she had become warped by her own selfish desires, nothing less would waken her true self, shatter her denial.

They did this for Snow White and they did this for Emma, as they knew that even if Emma were to forgive and forget, Snow would accept not the princess's love of the Dark Queen. She must be inspired by her emotions to finally see and believe the truth she had long denied—that Emma and Regina were destined Soul Mates and would not be denied their love. They knew only one way to prove as much to the raven-haired woman and it rested entirely on this performance, on the potion strung around Blue's neck, on Red's magically altered memories, and on the White Queen's answering grief. Only then, they hoped, would she be able to move beyond her prejudices and into a new era of acceptance and perhaps even union. The King, though, they truly believed had earned this cruelty as he sat unapologetically atop his throne, looking down on them both as if he were beyond fault. He knew not the extent of just how wrong he was in that belief.

"Who has slain my child?!" King James' voice roared through the throne room as tears spilled from his blue eyes and he jumped from his throne. "I shall have his head!" Snow, however, was but a crumpled, weeping heap atop her own throne.

"Then you should surely draw your sword now and place your blade to your own throat, King James," Red spat loudly at the man who blanched and stumbled at the words, nearly toppling from the dais as his face contorted in shock and confusion while his wife's answering gasp broke through her sobs. She glanced at her husband before locking blurry eyes with Red.

"No!" she shouted, the word naught more than a broken, desperate plea.

"Wha-What is this madness?" James stuttered, his tears now pushing forth so fast and so forcefully that his head pounded and his vision blurred warily. "It is a lie!"

"Please, Red, is this true?" Snow asked in a broken whisper as she stumbled quickly down from the dais to clutch onto her old friend's trembling hand.

Red's tears were entirely genuine as she ached for her memories of that night and for the heartache she now caused the woman who had once been her dearest and most treasured companion. The wolf nodded solemnly and watched as the White Queen crumbled to her knees at the feet of the two brunettes who cried for her pain and for their own.

"The princess was fatally wounded by a dagger meant for me," Red told the monarchs, her voice trembling as she turned to lock gazes with the man who had made an attempt on her life and continued, "the dagger thrown by the hand of the King." With those words, James, too, fell heavily to his knees, his shock and grief like a ten-ton stone upon his back. "What you have done, King James," Red added, repeating the words the man had said to her only three weeks prior, "it is an act of treason." He violently shook his head though his tears told well of his belief and understanding of what had occurred that fateful night.

"No, please, it is a lie," he whispered.

"We bring proof," Blue interjected, her own voice ragged and cracked from the palpable sorrow in the air, the grief that stirred in every heart in the room, though all for varying reasons and all to varying degrees. The former fairy then reached for her throat and pulled upon a corded necklace to reveal a tiny glass vial containing a pale blue liquid, from beneath the neck of her gown. "It is a potion that will allow you access to Red's memories so that you may witness proof of the princess's ill fate."

The reigning queen choked on yet another sob as she slowly nodded her understanding before rising shakily to her feet. She took and uncorked the vial from the former fairy and tilted back her head as the pale blue liquid slipped quickly down her throat. Red stepped forward and took the queen's shaking hands in her own, lifting them to her face and pressing Snow White's fingertips to her temples.

Snow gasped audibly as Red's memories, altered magically by Regina for this night, sprang up behind her eyelids with shocking and aching clarity and speed. She saw her own husband, the King, face reddened with anger, throw forward his arm to release a black-handled dagger into the air. She watched as the dagger sped toward the cloud of purple smoke that engulfed both Red and Blue and again, she caught the flash of that golden hair. The image then swirled and changed into another. She watched as the princess, her precious and beautiful daughter, fell heavily to her knees, that same black-handled dagger protruding from her abdomen amidst a growing stain of red. She watched as the wounded and bloodied blonde crawled to a cursed and slumbering Regina upon a battered wooden floor, and she heard her daughter's whispered words of love before Emma pressed her bloodied lips to the witch's. She saw her daughter's body slump heavily against the witch as a pulse of energy shot through the room and Regina's echoing gasp signaled her return to consciousness. She heard Red's screams for Regina to help her daughter and she watched as the wolf reached forward to wrench the King's dagger from his own child's stomach. She saw Regina's trembling, the tears that marred her long expressionless features, and she could practically feel the witch's desperation as she voiced her fear, her inability to perform the healing magic that was needed. Regina then placed her shaking hand over the princess's wound and cried for her magic to return to her, but none came. The image swirled and changed to reveal a tear-stained Regina slumped against Red's chest before the image changed again. She then saw Emma's sickly pale face as the princess lay atop a bed with both Regina and Red at her bedside, the witch dabbing at the blonde's face with a wet washcloth. The last image she saw was that of Regina's face, her eyes locked with Red's own, her brown orbs alight with anger and promise of retribution.

Once the final image faded, Snow's hands fell heavily from Red's face and she slumped against the wolf, her sobs reverberating off the walls of the great throne room. "Regina tried to save her, yet she had only just woken from her curse," Red said quietly, tears still tracking her face. "and she had been without her magic nearly twenty years. No matter how she tried, she could not heal Emma. We cleaned her wound and did our best to make her comfortable. We were able to staunch the bleeding to buy her time to rest and heal naturally, but the princess developed an infection, and Regina's magic had not yet grown enough to fight it. Emma's dying soul drained Regina's own as they are one in the same and prevented her from gaining the energy she required to heal her. Emma succumbed to her death in the night, one week prior to this day. We have been in mourning since."

"Regina has since regained much of her magic. We have been unable to console her. She is mad with her grief," Blue said sadly, her voice quivering as she spoke.

The echoing sobs of the queen were like jagged knives in the hearts of the two brunette women, though they continued to remind themselves that this must be done. This was both their retribution as well as their fighting chance to change the trials that would surely come to pass were the monarchs unable to see past their own prejudices and denial.

James needed only see and hear his wife's turmoil and grief to know the truth in Red's claim. His daughter had truly been slain and by his own hand no less. He curled into himself, resting his forehead to the chilled floor of the throne room and lost himself to the torturous ache in his heart and soul as he heard his wife speak once more.

"True Love's kiss," Snow breathed in a tearful whisper as she recalled the image from Red's memory of her daughter waking the fallen queen with a dying kiss. "Regina was right all along. Oh gods, what have I done?"

At that moment, a swirling cloud of purple smoke appeared in the center of the throne room, capturing its occupants' attentions. Regina appeared amidst the cloud in all her Evil Queen glory, her ebony gown of mourning speaking volumes to the reigning queen as Snow noticed the trembling tears in the witch's eyes though the woman appeared to be trying to fight them. Purple sparks of electricity crackled atop and between Regina's fingertips as she locked her chocolate orbs upon Snow's emerald ones and spoke.

"Sorry, am I late?" she asked bitterly, her words like a knife in the White Queen's heart as the floor beneath them began to quake.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty: The Plight Of The Evil Queen

A rush of images swept through the White Queen's mind at the sight of her former step-mother. She saw herself as a child, swept from the saddle of a wild horse, pulled into the safety of a stranger's arms.

She reveled in the awe of that stranger's kindness, that stranger's selflessness, that stranger's beauty.

She heard her voice whisper her surprise, sing her gratitude.

You saved me. 

She watched as her own words, true and powerful, were answered with a smile that lit the open sky with the brilliance of a thousand suns.

She lost herself in the warmth of the endless chocolate swirls of bright, kind eyes and comforting embraces.

She saw her joy when given overwhelming news, filled with blessed and hopeful thoughts of gaining a friend, gaining a mother where her own had been torn from her.

She felt the flutter in her chest, the tug of her heart as gentle hands cupped her face and supple lips whispered words that would forever alter her young life.

Because love, True Love…is magic.

She felt her own worry, her lips betraying the solemn promise she had made.

She watched as sadness, as anger, as pain, painted the once-vibrant eyes of a beautiful yet unhappy bride to be.

In every moment, in every memory, she now saw what she had always been missing. Sorrow. She felt Regina's sorrow. She was wholly surrounded by it, devoured by it, owned by it as Regina had always been.

"Regina, why are you doing this?" Snow sobbed loudly as the walls of the throne room shook violently, the floor beneath them quaking with the witch's rage. "What good will come of this now?"

Regina raised her hands, her fingers curling in the air as a low and chilling laugh rose from her throat and whispered across her lips. "Is this not how you want me, Snow White?" she whispered to the raven-haired and broken queen, glimmering tears dripping unbidden from her dark lashes as she summoned her memories to aid in her act, every terrifying and torturous moment that defined her damned life, that shaped her into the dark and damaged woman she had become.

Regina flicked her wrists in the thickening air as she called forth the magic that ran in her very veins and sparked in the marrow of her bones. The trembling of the walls of the throne room only intensified, pieces now cracking and crumbling, falling from their heights to shatter against the marble floor just as it, too, began to split. The beautiful white marble fissured beneath their feet as all present watched in sheer awe and terror of the power that was the fallen queen. "Is this not what you desire to see?"

The crying witch continued to speak, her voice a ragged growl, a terrifying tremor of promise and grief. Her volume grew as her memories continued to serve her, as her love for Emma and the thought of losing her echoed through the recesses of her mind, crawled along the cracks in her long-blackened and fragile heart and stirred her into honest action and reaction.

"Do you not want me broken?"

"Do you not want me shattered?"

"Do you not want me angry and writhing in my pain?"

"Do you not want me thirsty, starving for vengeance?"

"Do you not want me evil, Snow? Do you not want me as evil as you needed me to be, as you desired me to be so that you could deny my happiness, so that you could take from me and offer nothing in return, so that you could deny me all that this life has given you so freely?"

"Do you not need me damaged, cold, and cruel to justify your own dark desires?" A loud rumbling filled the massive space as the room became naught more than an extension of the darkest parts of Regina's soul.

"DO YOU NOT WANT ME HEARTLESS?" She roared. The glass of the many windows decorating the throne room shattered with the rage of the Evil Queen, with the torment that decorated her every waking and slumbering moment. The shards flew around them as she narrowed her eyes upon the crumpled heap that was a grieving and terrified Snow White.

All watched as Regina's tears bled from her blackened eyes, as her body trembled and glowed a brilliant purple. Not one of them stirred. None of them spoke. They barely managed to breathe as they shook to their cores with the rocking weight of the witch's words, of her vulnerable truths pouring madly through her anger. All cried with her. All cried for her, but none looked away, and none denied her this moment. None argued her words. No one could. Every throbbing, weighted syllable spoke only truth and only sorrow. The Evil Queen had always been and would always be so much more than her title. She was a woman who had known suffering beyond what any of those present could ever possibly imagine.

"Do you not want me here, as I am, as I have always been, watching your happiness bloom, watching you find and keep your love while I wither in your wake, while I lose all that I cherish over and over and over?"

"Do you not want me aching and sorrowful?"

"Do you not want me, Snow, to remain always and forever…alone?" The final word was but a broken whisper, a melody of cracking voice, and it slammed into the White Queen's chest, piercing the flesh and painfully spearing her once-pure and happy heart.

"Regina, please…" Snow sobbed from her place upon the cracked and quaking floor. The plea was a needled whisper on the witch's skin, grating her nerves and driving her onward. She knew this needed to happen to open the eyes of the woman before her, the woman who would have left her to rot eternally within a sleeping curse simply to keep her from the princess, despite knowing what such cruelty would do to Emma, and despite knowing that Regina had and could continue to change for her love, but the vulnerability of the moment was gnawing at her gut, eating at her flesh, and she despised the feeling. She shot forth a sparking hand and the trembling body of the raven-haired woman rose into the air, floating forward to close the distance between the opposing queens until they met, noses brushing and eyes locking fiercely, amidst a swirling storm of shattered glass and growing tension.

"You denied your own daughter's happiness," the witch whispered, her breath a poisonous kiss upon the White Queen's features, "only so that you could deny me my own."

"I believed you truly lost," Snow whispered in return, her emerald eyes clouded with her sorrow and her regret. "I believed you evil. I could not see past all that had transpired between us. I believed you could not change."

Regina lowered the White Queen slowly to the floor to stand before her. She could feel Emma's dormant love for Snow stirring in her soul, and her voice softened as she spoke. "Emma changed me. She saved me. She taught me how to love again."

"I know," Snow's words were barely audible as she nodded. "I was wrong, Regina, to deny you your chance, to deny Emma hers, and it cost me my daughter, my child."

The fallen queen's heart ached deeply in her chest now for the pain and sorrow of the woman before her, the woman who had once been the little girl that Regina, herself, had loved for a time.

Emma could not stand the tension, the worry. She could not stand the silence of the small, empty cottage as she waited to hear her beloved's voice whisper inside her head. She could not stomach the grief and turmoil their plan would surely evoke, yet she needed her mother, her birth mother, to see her, to truly see her and all that she was destined to become with Regina by her side. She needed the peace of her acceptance and her support. Her parents' bitterness and resentment toward her beloved had nearly cost her, her life. She feared they would never see, that they would never come to understand, and even if she had lived six long years without them, she still ached for their approval and their love in the deepest parts of her heart and soul.

She desired not to have to choose between her love and her family. She wanted not to live a life constantly running, fearing for the safety of her witch, for the possibility of her capture. She wanted redemption for all, forgiveness for each of them. She wanted new possibilities, possibilities that would carve a path to unity, a path to peace.

The princess paced the confines of the cottage, attempting to calm her raging emotions, her warring heart, yet the effort proved fruitless. She could stand it no longer, the curse of not knowing, so she closed her eyes and conjured images of the castle she had long ago called home before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Emma, hidden from sight, watched the scene unfold, tears blurring her vision as she took in every word that echoed around the throne room, every sob wrenched from Snow's throat, every tearful whispered denial from her grief-stricken father, and she ached for them. She ached for all of them—Snow, James, Red, Blue, and most especially, Regina. She marveled at the power of her beloved, at the terrifying display of magic that was ever careful not to harm the occupants of the great throne room even as shards of glass spiraled madly through the air. Such focus. Such control. It was a purely awesome show of Regina's power, yet, to Emma, it was nothing compared to both the aching beauty and the bone-chilling power of the witch's honest emotion, her unabashed confessions of pain and torment and lastly, true, undying love.

The princess could hear the regret in her birth mother's voice, the sorrow that glittered her words, and she knew they had finally reached her, though she wished it had not needed come to this. She hoped, though, from the depths of her heart and soul, that all would soon be well, that all would one day be truly wonderful, that the events of this day and the lessons learned as a result of it would pave the way for them to finally let go and move on.

Regina, my love, Emma called out to her Soul Mate through the precious telepathic bond that connected their minds as their souls, too, were connected, let us end this madness, this torture. We have all long suffered enough. Let us mend these wounds so that we may move forward at last. 

Regina heard her princess's voice whisper inside her head. She had known Emma was watching, had felt her Soul Mate's presence. She had known long before she had ever left the blonde behind that Emma would follow, that she would be unable to stay away, though she was angered not by this. Instead, she was comforted by her beloved's unknown presence. She was ever in awe of Emma's deeply open and kind heart, proud of her love's ability to always empathize, to always ache for those in pain. She was truly the best and most soulfully beautiful person that the witch had ever known.

Regina, my love, let us end this madness, this torture. We have all long suffered enough. Let us mend these wounds so that we may move forward at last. 

Regina wholeheartedly agreed with the princess. She, too, longed to end this as she took no joy in the cruelty, however necessary, of shattering a mother's heart, of sorrowing the reigning queen as she once might have. She had truly meant her words. Emma had changed her. Where Regina once would have reveled in the pain now etched into her former enemy's features, she now only wished to soothe it, and she knew not (nor did she care to know) how much of that wish was due to her own desires and how much of it was borne of the pieces of Emma's soul that tangled with her own.

Yes, Emma, I believe it is time, Regina whispered in return as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come.

Regina's gaze softened as she locked eyes with the White Queen once more. She flicked a wrist gracefully and all watched as the cracked and crumbled throne room mended itself magically, fissures closing into perfect marble once more and swirling shards of glass fitting together as jagged puzzle pieces to compose perfect, reflective windows that seemed to have never even been touched. She then used her magic to lift a crumpled Charming from the now flawless marble floor and pull him to the center of the room to stand alongside his wife. The King did not struggle nor did he fight the magic. He simply let it carry him to his queen so that they both now stood before Regina.

Blue and Red, cheeks still wet with their tears, joined the trio in the center of the throne room. They each placed comforting hands on the grief-stricken monarchs as Regina spoke softly to them. "Sometimes even the best intentions become clouded by our emotions," she told them, "leading us to make misguided and often even terrible choices, choices that once made can sometimes never be undone." An image of Daniel swam to the forefront of both Regina's as well as Snow's minds at these words. Regina's mind quickly followed the image with those of the many lives she had taken or that had been taken in her name. "This I well know," she continued, "as do you, Snow."

She hesitated only a moment, sucking in a deep and steadying breath before adding, "However, sometimes, they can."

Both Snow's as well as James' heads snapped to attention upon hearing these words, a burst of hope and light brightening their glistening eyes just as a cloud of swirling purple smoke filled the empty space to the right of the witch before fading and dissipating to reveal the wild, golden mane of curls and the shining emerald eyes of the princess, very much alive.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One: The Lessons We Learn

"Are you angered?" Emma asked as she sat atop the sinking softness of the massive bed of the reigning king and queen's royal bedchamber, her legs swung over the side and a silent and still trembling Snow White seated only inches to her right. They looked not at one another, both devouring the floor with their gazes as they spoke softly to one another, Emma having requested a moment alone with her birthmother, a chance to speak with her.

"It was cruel," Snow whispered, her voice barely audible though it held no obvious hint of anger or resentment for the sheer magnitude of the emotionally tense and trying events that had occurred this night, an act planned and executed as a lesson in learning, a lesson in seeing, a lesson in letting go.

"It was necessary," the princess countered, a slight edge to her voice though she remained without tension and without anger. Many hearts had bled this night, many had wept, and many had been crushed only to be revived once more. Nothing more was needed. The message had been quite clear.

"Yes, I suppose it was," the White Queen answered, nodding her head as her remaining tears dangled and dripped from the dimpled chin she had passed on to her beautiful and beloved daughter.

"Your eyes have long been closed," Emma told her, now turning to face the raven-haired woman, the woman who had once tucked her into bed each night and shared brilliant and exciting stories with her, the woman who had once composed so much of the princess's world. "You have been unable to see, unable to understand. You have forgotten all that you once taught me."

"What lesson do you speak of?" Snow asked quietly, confusion slightly contorting her features as her green eyes met their reflection in her daughter's emerald orbs.

Emma smiled softly at her, precious memories of her young childhood now flooding through her mind. "Many," she said. "You taught me of love, of the magic and power of True Love, just as Regina once taught you. You taught me to seek love in all that I do, and once I found it, to never allow it to slip away, to hold it fiercely and always. And that is what I did, Snow. That is what I have continued to do these many, long years."

Snow White winced at hearing her daughter refer to her by her name, deeply and soulfully missing the loving term of endearment, of family, that the princess now reserved only for the wolf woman who had once been Snow's most beloved companion. She knew that she had paved this path, though. She had been the one to push Emma away with her own selfish actions, and though she knew she could never give her daughter or Regina back those lost six years, she deeply wished she could. All she could hope for now, though, was forgiveness, and perhaps even a future in which she could know her daughter again and share in her beautiful life, a future in which she could come to know again the kindness of the woman who had once been her step-mother and who had once been her enemy.

"I clung to my love even when I was afraid, even when I was alone, and even when you stood against me, because it is what you once taught me to do. It is who you taught me to be. For that, I am forever grateful, but it excuses not what you have done, nor what James has done," Emma continued, needing to express in her own words all that she had felt and harbored deep within since she was but a small child, starving and freezing in a hollowed tree in the woods.

"You have taken much from me. You both have, and you have taken more from Regina. For my entire childhood, Snow, you taught me that evil is not born. It is made, and were it not for Red's guidance and support, and were it not for my own drive to be reunited with my love, this lesson could have very well been true of me." A quiet and strangled sob rose from the White Queen's throat as she listened to her daughter, the truth of her words slamming into her with the force of an army of thousands. Her own actions could easily have driven her young daughter down a darkened path, the very path once taken by her former step-mother, a path that would have led only to further heartache and to the future damnation of her child. The realization ignited a fire in her very soul.

"For my entire youth, you spoke to me of your love for the woman Regina once had been, of your hope for her redemption, yet you took from her, her truest chance at that redemption. You condemned her to six years, with the hope of longer, to a cursed life of only pain, trapped within a burning room that taught her only to long for a death that would never come, and all the while, Snow, I was aching for her. I was searching for her. I feared I would never find her. I feared I would lose myself in the sorrow, in the torment of being without her. With every passing sun and moon, the hole in my heart and the void in my soul only grew, as without Regina, I am incomplete. She is my other half. She is my Soul Mate, and you chose to take her from me. You chose to deny me the beauty and the blessing of my own True Love, and now Regina and I, we can never regain the time we have lost."

Emma's own tears now slipped sweetly from her emerald eyes as she spoke to the woman she both loved and loathed, the woman who equally was and was not her mother. The reigning queen now wept openly as she ached for the sorrow and the pain she had caused her daughter, for the person she had allowed herself to become. She now wanted only redemption, the very redemption she once hoped for Regina.

"I am so deeply sorry, Emma," Snow whispered, her voice naught more than a cracked and trembling shudder of breath. "Can you, would you, ever forgive me for all that I have done?" They locked gazes as the White Queen then held her breath, terrified of hearing her daughter's answer to this vital question. Emma drew in a heavy breath and chose only to be honest with the raven-haired woman.

"I wish to, yes," she told her, "and it is a struggle I endure with every passing minute. I long to forgive you, to forgive you both, and I hope that perhaps, someday, I will be able, but I yet cannot. I have not yet found it within me, found the strength, to forgive your betrayal. It remains carved into my flesh, into my very soul, a scar I can never be rid of, and though I know it shall always remain, my hope is that one day, it shall greatly fade and the pain of its reminder will lessen, and then, I shall finally find the strength to forgive."

Silent tears tracked the fair queen's cheeks as she received not the answer her soul so desperately longed for yet she knew it was an answer not without hope and one with more promise than she knew she deserved. "I do, however," the princess continued, "wish to let go of this hatred that burns within me for you and for James, and I wish you to let go of the same hatred that burns within you for the woman I love. I wish to move on, to move forward. I wish for the freedom to love as my heart demands, for the freedom to love who my heart demands, and that is, has always been, and shall always be Regina."

"You truly love her," Snow whispered as she met her daughter's gaze once more and her words sang as more of a statement to herself than a question, a realization, an observation made in awe.

"I do," Emma answered regardless, her tone resolute and her eyes alight with the very love of which she claimed.

"And she makes you happy, Emma?" Snow asked, needing to hear her daughter speak the words even if she knew, already, the answer. "She is truly your other half?"

A brilliant and soul-shaking smile erupted across the princess's lips, shining through her tears and speaking volumes of her heart. "Oh, Snow," Emma whispered breathlessly, "she is the very air that I breathe."

A simple, yet beautiful smile graced the queen's own lips upon hearing this and in answer, she only nodded, cautiously reaching over to slip a pale and slender hand into her daughter's, hoping Emma would allow the touch, and to Snow White's great pleasure, she did. Emma squeezed her birthmother's hand, hoping this simple show of affection by the queen meant acceptance of a love many in their kingdom would believe forbidden, even disgraceful.

"I wish not to hide my love," Emma said softly, needing answers and assurance that she and Regina could now live peacefully and could have the open freedom to love one another without judgment. "I wish not to live a life of running, Snow. I wish only for peace, only for the liberty to build and share a life with Regina. Can you accept this? Can you allow us to live peacefully?"

"Yes, Emma, I believe I can," Snow whispered as she held tightly to her daughter's hand, knowing she never again would deny the princess any wish, any happiness. Emma breathed a heavy sigh of relief and smiled brightly at the queen. They were finally free. She and Regina could finally live without fear of being hunted, without fear of capture, and without fear of aimless retribution from the White King and Queen.

"Thank you," Emma breathed. She squeezed the raven-haired woman's hand once more before letting go and standing from the monarchs' bed. Just as she was turning to leave, Snow shot forth a hand to capture Emma's own once more.

"Will I see you again?" Snow asked, her voice a tangle of blending emotions—hope, fear, love, sorrow, joy, and all beyond.

"I believe you will, Snow," Emma said truthfully, hoping someday they might truly be able to fully mend what had long been broken between them. Snow let out another sob, this one, though, of joy and relief. She nodded her head and let go of her daughter's hand, smiling softly as she watched the princess cross to the door.

"Emma?" The princess, hearing her name whispered timidly from the queen's lips, turned one final time to face her, her hand resting softly atop the door handle.

"Yes?"

"I know that Red is now your mother," Snow said quietly, tears slipping softly through once more, "but perhaps, someday, you could find room again in your heart for me, for two mothers?"

"Perhaps I could," Emma told her, smiling softly and sadly at the tear-stained woman, before turning and taking leave of the grand room where the reigning White Queen had once lovingly and reverently welcomed her into the world.

As Emma exited the royal bedchamber and made her way into the grand corridor, she glanced to her right, her eyes focusing on the door that led to the room that had once been her own, the room that at one time had been her sanctuary and at another, had been her prison. She noticed the door now stood slightly ajar, and without thinking, she crossed the short distance and peeked through.

The room was as she remembered in every way, perfectly untouched by time, and there, in the center of the room, sat the King atop a child's bed. His head rested against his palms, his elbows pinned to his knees as his body rocked and shook with sobs. Emma stepped quietly into the room and crossed to stand before the broken King. She reached forth and placed a hand atop his shoulder.

James lifted his head, shimmering streams tracing the distance from his ocean eyes to the strong, angled line of his jaw. "I—I am so—so sorry," he whispered to his daughter, his words barely registering through his anguish. He took a steadying breath and tried again. "I am so sorry, Emma. I—I know not who I am, who I have become."

"You are no longer the kind and fair man I once knew," Emma told him quietly, "though you can be again if you so choose."

"And while I cannot yet find it in my heart to forgive what you have done, nor do I know if ever I will, it is not my forgiveness you should be seeking."

"Is it not?" he asked, tears still streaming.

"It was not my heart your dagger was poised to pierce," she told him, and her voice grew cold as the memories of that fateful night spilled into her mind. The thought of what could easily have become of her mother, Red, chilled her to the bone, reigniting her anger, her fear, and her sincere disdain for the man who once had been her kind and gentle father.

"If you truly desire redemption, then your apology is owed not to I, but to Red. Her forgiveness is her own to give, and I shall respect her choice either way." And with that, Emma turned away from the broken King and made once more for the door. Just as she was about to exit, though, she turned back to the weeping man and made one final remark, a solemn vow painting her every word.

"Know this, though, James," she said, her tone resolute and authoritative, "should you ever again threaten or attempt to harm my mother or my love, I shall destroy you, and your regrets, then, shall be paid with your life."

She heard only James' answering gasp as she pulled the door to her past closed behind her, the slam of the wood echoing through the castle corridor with an ominous air of finality.

Regina turned as the echoing steps of her beloved marked Emma's return to the throne room where she had left them only a short while earlier. Red swiftly crossed the open space to embrace her child, planting a loving kiss to Emma's forehead as they exchanged words of love and affection, thankful to be safe and to have been successful in their mission, but mostly, thankful to be together again.

Emma then made her way to the center of the room to join the other two, quickly embracing Blue and thanking her for her help this night, before turning her focus to the woman whose arms she longed to be in, the woman whose heart she ached to dive into and never come up for air.

The princess cupped a tender palm around her beloved's cheek and did her best to express all that swam within her heart, within her soul, through their shared gaze. She pulled Regina into a warm and comforting embrace, planting small kisses across the witch's jaw, neck, and hair, before lifting her lips to Regina's ear.

"We are finally free, Regina," she whispered, and the soulful joy that decorated Emma's voice sank through Regina's skin and soared straight to her already melting heart. Tears slipped sweetly from her eyes as she clung tightly to her love, never wishing to let her go, as their hearts both stirred with the beauty and wonder of all that lay ahead, of the path that lay before them, a life they could live freely and openly, no longer running and never hidden.

"Where shall we go from here, my darling?" she asked as she breathed in the comforting scent of the young woman who had so beautifully and irrevocably changed her life.

"It matters not," Emma told her as she pulled back to look into Regina's eyes once more.

"No?"

"Do you not yet know?" the princess asked, reaching forth to cup the witch's cheeks again and swiping her thumbs through steadily drying traces of tears.

"Know what, dear?" Regina questioned her.

Emma took a long, cleansing breath and stared deeply into the warm cocoa eyes that had long ago taught her heart to sing. "I would follow you anywhere."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Origin of Stars

Unlimited stars dusted the dark surface of the infinite night sky, as if painted with delicate brushes atop a vast, black canvas. Emma took in the wonder of their twinkling light as she lay upon the chilled ground of the forest floor just behind their tiny cabin. She lay on her back, her arms tucked comfortably under her head as her mind swam with all that her life was and all that it had once been, all that it could one day be. Her breath came out in fogs of white, transformed to something visible in the cold, night air. She was alone, having woken in the middle of the night while the moon was at its highest, unable to sleep any longer. Since her escape from the White Kingdom as only a small child, she had never slept well, always plagued with nightmares and restless thoughts. The events of this night had only fueled her restlessness and her riot of emotions remained loud and chaotic inside her head and within her heart.

A sudden rippling wave of heat flooded Emma's body from her head down to her toes, instantly warming all that the night's frozen air had chilled to the bone. A small smile stretched the princess's face as a soft, warm, and massive blanket materialized beneath her, separating her body from the freezing ground and stretched largely into the empty space to her left which was then beautifully filled with the breathtaking form of her beloved, Regina.

The brunette witch lay quietly down atop the blanket she had conjured, her arms lifting to rest beneath her head as her body mimicked Emma's. Emma turned her head to take in the sight of her love, and her body only buzzed further with warmth. Regina lay beside her in only a thin night slip that ended midway down her thighs. Her long and slender legs where beautifully exposed as were her lean, soft arms, shoulders, cleavage, and neck. The pale moonlight shone brightly upon the witch as if she were the only creature worthy of its heavenly glow, and she was, Emma thought. She was the most stunning sight the princess's emerald eyes had ever beheld.

A barely visible steam continuously rolled atop the witch's flesh, rising in small wisps, as she employed magic to keep her warm. Emma felt as if she herself should be steaming, or smoking even, as her breath hitched in her throat and her body caught fire within the frozen night. Every part of her ached to reach out and touch the woman, to pull Regina into her arms, to explore her and worship her and cherish every second, every touch, and every quivering, cloudy breath, but she found, in this moment, she could not move. She could only stare at her love, devouring the beauty of a sight she took in with reverence and wonder.

"When I was a child," Regina whispered, her voice tingling atop Emma's flesh as it slipped into her ears and brought her from her hazy reverie, "my father would tell me of the stars. Each star burning brightly in the night sky represented a wish, denied or long forgotten, placed there by the gods to shine upon us and remind us of our wishes, to remind us never to let go of our hope that they might one day come true. He told me that when one of those wishes had finally been granted, it would fall from the sky, a stream of brilliant light trailing in its wake, and a new star, a new wish, would then take its place."

As Regina spoke, a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye, trailing down the side of her face before disappearing into her hair, and all the while, Emma watched her. She listened. She waited for Regina's heart to open further, to spill forth all that she longed to say and desired to share, and while the princess knew as much would require more than only the time held within this one night, she was willing to wait, desperate to listen. She would gladly spend every moon of her life simply listening if that is what Regina desired or needed.

"I made many wishes as a child," she finally continued, her voice now barely audible as she spoke, "as a young woman, and even as an adult, but no fairy ever appeared to me. My wishes were never granted. I know not if they were even heard. I spent many nights on my castle balcony staring up at the stars, waiting for them to fall, waiting for the desires of my heart to finally be heard."

Tears slipped silently from emerald eyes as the princess listened to her Soul Mate, ached for the endless ways in which the world had turned its back on Regina, had denied her happiness even as a child. Emma's heart throbbed angrily in her chest as she cursed the fairies, cursed the entire universe that had chosen to be blind and deaf to the desperate wishes of a suffering girl and of a woman who was naught more than a broken possession, used against her will so often and in so many ways that it warped her very soul, blackened her heart, and deadened her to all that had once thrived, hopeful and wanting, within her. Emma knew that she would shred through time and space, tear open the very universe if Regina wished it so.

Regina shifted then, turning her body to face her beloved, her glistening brown eyes seeking green. Her breath caught forcefully before rising to the rhythm of her drumming pulse as she took in the way Emma's emerald orbs captured the moonlight, shimmering beautifully as precious gems beneath the pale glow. She reached forth a hand, tracing a finger down the princess's cheek, a thumb across her lips, and a palm through her golden hair. Regina knew she could live on these simple touches, on the wonder she found with Emma in something as simple yet precious as sharing the same air.

"It has been many years now since I have wished for anything," she said, her heavy sigh rising into the night, a cloud of white in a sea of black.

"What was the last wish you made?" Emma asked her as the witch continued to stroke her hair and cheek. She reveled in the feel of Regina's hands on her skin, of the way the woman seemed to always be looking into her, into her very soul, and she wondered if Regina could see herself there, where Emma knew she was so filled with the fallen queen that she often thought she might burst.

Regina smiled sadly as she thought of her last wish. It had been a precious moment to her and yet she had been unable to fully enjoy it, saddened by the many realizations that had danced in her heart that night. "Do you remember your eighth Name Day?" she asked her love.

"I do," Emma said with a nod. "That was the day Red gifted me with my enchanted necklace." She stroked her wolf figurine through her shirt as it rested warmly against her chest, not having moved from the position in over eight years. She had cherished it always just as she had promised her godmother she would. "It was also the first Name Day I ever spent with you."

"Indeed it was," Regina whispered, her eyes glistening once more, tears threatening to spill forth from melted chocolate. "You were such a beautiful child, sweet and caring, and always so kind to me. I adored you, yet that night, for me, was a sorrowful one. When I learned it was your Name Day, I felt as if my heart might shatter as I realized I could give you nothing while all others in your life could provide for you, could supply you with your hopes, desires, and dreams. You were a beloved princess and I was a fallen queen, a prisoner. I desired to give you the world and could not. That night was the first of my life in which I had truly regretted all that I had done, all the evils I had acted. I longed for freedom, and not for my own selfish desires, but because I longed to be able to provide for you, to be a person you could love and admire and respect, rather than the dark and hollowed shell I had become and forever separated from you by the iron of my prison bars."

Emma's own tears had become a constant now. She reached up and pulled Regina's tender hand from her own golden locks so that she could lace together their fingers and hold tightly to her love. Their joined hands settled in the small space between their heartbeats as Regina whispered once more to the blonde.

"When you lit a candle in the dungeon that night and offered me a wish," she said, "I knew whatever my heart could conjure would go unheard, never cared for, and never granted. It was for this very reason that I had determined not to wish, and yet as I blew the flame from the wick, a wish rose from my very soul and filled my mind. I wished for your happiness, Emma. I wished you to always be happy."

Emma's breath hitched in her throat before expelling through her lips in a sweet and echoing sob that filled the frozen air with an ivory fog. "Oh Regina," she whispered through her tears and smiling beautifully in the moonlight, "that star has certainly fallen, my love. It fell the day I met you."

And with those words, the princess closed the tender space between their parted, tear-stained lips and kissed her beloved witch with the fierce and fiery passion of a trillion twinkling stars burning eternally in the night.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three: From The Remains

Regina and Emma appeared hand-in-hand in their signature cloud of swirling purple smoke before a dark and vastly desecrated castle. Regina's former home stood firm and tall, though it was clear even from its outward appearance that the castle had fallen greatly into disrepair over the last twenty years spent empty and untended, aided further by the obvious efforts made to defile and ruin its remains. These efforts, made mostly by victims of the once Evil Queen's many dark deeds, marked the rising walls of the castle with scorch marks from thrown torches, cracked and crumbling stone from battering rams and axes and hammers, crimson splashes of paint to represent the many lives taken at the queen's hands or on her command, shattered windows and demolished statues, and more. Every part of the castle grounds and the castle itself seemed to have felt the rage of past victims, the mockery of villagers and soldiers alike, and the unsupervised play of children filled with stories of the dark witch who had once dwelled within.

Regina ached for the sight before her, for the brutal evidence of the pain and rage she had long stirred in others. She had wanted to come here. She had wanted to see, and so she blinked away her tears and held her head high as she pushed onward, her hand clasped tightly in her love's as they made their way to the two massive battered and broken doors that once served as the grand entrance to the Evil Queen's castle.

They climbed carefully over the splintered and crumbled wood and into the entrance hall. Their steps echoed loudly through the lonely remains of the palace, crunching and crackling over shards of broken glass and shattered mirrors, their empty frames barely clinging to the walls or scattered across marble floors grayed from char and dust. Neither princess nor fallen queen voiced a word as they worked their way through the desolate labyrinth of debris, though Emma could feel through the bond of their souls, Regina's pain for the wreckage and regret for the actions that had earned it, and so she squeezed the witch's hand more tightly in a show of comfort and a gift of strength.

Corridor after corridor, they met only rubble—torn tapestries, shredded portraits, shattered mirrors, and piles of trinkets, books, candles, and all that had once stood in perfect order, beautiful, respected, and cared for. This castle was no longer a home, no longer a refuge, and no longer a fortress of fortitude. It now was only a graveyard, a burial ground for the power and the reign of the Evil Queen.

The upper floors of the castle were greatly untouched, however, with the exception of the shattered glass that still decorated the floors. The White Queen had been thorough in her destruction of Regina's many mirrors as not a single room or passage was without its own trail of shards or display of broken and empty frames. Mostly, though, the upper floors were plagued by thick and vast blankets of dust and filth collected over nearly two decades of human absence.

The two women, Regina leading, pushed through the large wooden doors of an enormous and richly decorated room near the top of one of the castle towers. A bed the size of a small house filled a large portion of the room, its blankets moth-eaten and covered in dust, the paint of its grand columns chipped and worn. A grand dresser sat across the room, its surface littered with the glass of the large mirror that had once stood above it. Emma ran her hands over dust-covered items that still decorated its surface, particularly a silver hairbrush with bristles still clinging to chocolate strands of decades-old hair.

She then turned to see Regina standing in the center of a giant walk-in closet, fingering the filth on the innumerable gowns and garments that filled the space within, the place from where she had summoned the ebony gown she had only just worn the previous night during their visit to the White Kingdom. Much of the clothing was moth-eaten or tattered with time, though many pieces remained seemingly untouched by all but dust.

"This was my bedchamber," Regina said quietly as she re-entered the room, glancing around to take it all in as a rush of memories washed through and over her. Emma, though, upon hearing the words, could not take her eyes from the enormous bed that filled a majority of the room. The witch followed the princess's gaze to the grand bed and wondered what the blonde was thinking, but before she could ask, a fireball, bright, hot, and red, appeared in Emma's hand before soaring through the space of the room and slamming into the bed, igniting it instantly. The princess's breaths were heavy and ragged as the reflection of the flames danced in her eyes and she heard neither Regina's gasp nor the repetition of her name from the brunette's beautiful lips. She was transfixed, lost in the feeling that burned within her as the royal bed now burned before her eyes.

In only minutes, though, the fire was extinguished with a flick of Regina's wrist, leaving nothing but lingering clouds and tendrils of blackened smoke and the stench of scorched velvet and silk in its wake. Regina moved cautiously to Emma's side, worried for the rage and the sheer pain that flickered in the princess's eyes. She placed a calming and comforting hand upon the blonde's arm and tried again to capture her attention.

"Emma?" she whispered. "Darling, look at me."

The princess released a heavy breath before finally turning to face her beloved, tears lingering on her lashes as a jagged lump scratched and burned in her throat. Regina's heart ached at the sight of Emma's tears, unsure though of what had caused them. "Sweetheart, what is it that pains you so? Why have you done this?" She motioned toward the still-smoking bed.

"I wish not to see the place where you were taken by the King, where that man forced himself upon you each night," Emma said, her voice cracking as she spoke so that she had to stop and take a shuddering breath, which only made Regina melt more for the princess. "I wish not to see the place where he took from you, your innocence."

Regina reached forth her hands to cup Emma's cheeks, swiping her thumbs across the fair surfaces to do away with the tears that marred them. Her heart swelled in her chest to the point of bursting. No one had ever moved her so deeply, so completely. No one had ever cared for her so wholly, and no one had ever loved her so thoroughly, so devoutly, as Emma; not even Daniel. No one had ever shown her such loyalty and respect, not without fear for their lives or the hope of receiving something in return.

"Calm your heart, my love," she breathed. "You need not ache for me so. These were my chambers alone. The King and I shared little and cared not privately to pretend as if we loved one another, thus I was given my own chambers, and here, he never claimed me. He laid not a hand on me within these walls. Whenever he so desired my…company, I was always beckoned to his own chambers, and believe me when I say, love, that I long ago saw to the destruction of that vile bed. It burned to ash mere hours after the King's final breath."

Emma, still sniffling slightly, smiled through what remained of her tears as she reached up and wrapped her fingers tenderly around Regina's wrists where the witch still cupped her cheeks. She let out a soft chuckle that grew into a beautiful burst of laughter. Regina smiled brightly at the sound and could help not but to laugh as well. Everything about her princess was profound and infectious from her sorrow to her joy and all in-between.

"Well," Emma said through her laughter, "I feel foolish now, having set fire to a bed you never even shared with the King."

Regina smiled brightly again as the laughter steadily faded, Emma's breath hitching in her throat at the sight of the stunning expression, and the witch leaned in to place a loving, yet chaste kiss to her princess's lips and whispered, "Never feel foolish for your heart, Emma. Your loyalty to me and your love touch me as nothing ever has or could, and I am greatly honored by it."

"Well, if it inspires such a beautiful smile as that, then I shall surely burn every bed in this castle," Emma returned teasingly, and Regina laughed loudly again as she pulled the blonde into her arms and slipped her hands into tangled golden locks. They kissed madly, clinging to one another, a pure and perfect show of beauty amidst a sea of decay, rubble, and filth.

It seemed hours had passed within that one passionate kiss by the time Emma pulled from Regina's lips, her entire body alive, on fire, and tingling in the most gloriously painful way. She looked into Regina's eyes and said, "Can you picture it as before, this place?"

"My bedchamber?" Regina asked, arching an eyebrow as she stood with her arms still locked around the princess's neck.

Emma smiled brightly and shook her head. "No, Regina, your castle. I know many years have passed, but this once was your home. Can you picture it clearly in your mind, love, room by room?"

Regina, though confused by Emma's words and obvious excitement, nodded her head and said, "I can, yes."

Emma's excitement only seemed to grow with those words, and she pulled swiftly back from the witch's embrace to stand in the center of the room. "Close your eyes then, darling, and do so. Imagine each room and every passage with as much detail as you can manage." Regina did as Emma commanded, closing her eyes and allowing her memories of her former home, vividly detailed, to flow through her once more.

The princess closed her eyes as well. She used the precious bond of their shared souls to tap into Regina's mind and as the images flowed through their connection, Emma raised her hands into the air and called forth the magic and the power that dwelled deep within. The ground rumbled and quaked beneath their feet and Emma sent waves of comfort through their bond to keep Regina from losing her focus. Rolling waves of purple clouds billowed through the corridors of the castle like a raging storm with powerful intent. The magic traveled wherever the images in Regina's mind commanded Emma to take it, righting each and every space as it soared past.

After several long minutes, the rumbling finally died down, the images in Regina's mind waning to a halt. The brunette slowly opened her eyes to find the entire room enveloped in a thick film of purple fog. She waited for the smoke to dissipate and when it finally did, she gasped so forcefully she nearly choked. The entire room around her was as perfectly immaculate as it existed in her memory, the marble floors now polished and gleaming. Her mirrors intact once more and reflecting her awe, decorated the walls surrounding her. The grand, royal bed stood fresh and clean, beautiful and perfectly restored as were the numerous gowns and garments in her former closet. It was flawless; a stunning palace having risen from the remains of its previous desecration, and it absolutely stole her breath.

Her gaze finally settled again on her precious princess who had stumbled from the center of the room to slump against the dresser, sliding down onto the cushioned bench that sat before it. The sheer magnitude of the magic Emma had used greatly drained her, though from the expression it had inspired on her love's face, it had absolutely been worth it. Regina crossed the room to where Emma now sat watching her with rapt attention though her eyes drooped heavily with her exhaustion. She dropped to her knees before her Soul Mate and cupped her tender cheeks in her hands. Tears pricked at her eyes as she allowed the enormity of her love for Emma, ever growing and expanding, to wash through her and overwhelm her, to fill her from the inside out and explode through her heart. She was entirely and utterly in awe of the princess, in awe of her devotion and her every loving gesture, both grand and small, and in awe of her power. Their combined magic when exercised by either of them or both was beyond any magic Regina had ever witnessed. She thought, perhaps together, they could be unstoppable, invincible even. The thought alone was both thrilling as well as terrifying, though Regina hoped they would never have need to find out just powerful they truly could be.

Regina placed a hand, open-palmed, to the princess's chest and willed forth her strength and magic. It poured through her palm and fingertips, warming Emma and providing her with much of the energy she had only just lost. The result was instantaneous as Emma's cheeks filled with color again and her eyes brightened with replenished energy and strength. She closed the distanced between them, Regina's hand still resting atop her heart, and pressed her lips to her witch's. "Thank you," she whispered against supple lips.

"Emma," Regina breathed, her voice a perfect melody of reverence, "this is wonderful. It is exactly as I remember. It is beautiful. Have you restored the entire castle?"

"I have," the blonde told her, smiling as she rested her forehead against Regina's.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Regina asked, genuinely curious. "Just to please me?"

Emma ran her hands through long chocolate locks, reveling in the feel of the softness on her skin and the resulting scent of apples and flora that wafted from Regina's hair. "I did this, my love, because yes, I hoped it would please you, but I also did this because…"

"Because…?" Regina prompted her.

"Because we require a home, Regina, a home fit for the queen that you are," Emma finished after taking a deep breath, hoping the brunette would be open to the suggestion. Regina's eyes widened, her eyebrows disappearing into her hair line, upon hearing the princess's words.

"You wish to live here?" she asked, thoroughly stunned by the suggestion.

"You, Red, and I cannot continue to dwell within a one-room cabin in the woods forever, my love," Emma answered her, "and while I have no need of something as grand as a castle, this castle belongs to you already. It is yours, Regina, but…but it could be ours, if you will have me."

Regina's heart beat wildly in her chest and a beautiful smile stretched her lips. She nodded to her love and whispered against Emma's lips, "Then it shall be ours, Emma. I want nothing without you." Emma laughed with her joy before devouring the final inch between them. They kissed slowly and sweetly, savoring the joy and the beauty of the moment, of all that had transpired this day—renewal where there had previously been only destruction.

"Red may live with us as well, yes?" Emma asked tentatively, but Regina only pressed another kiss to her lips and nodded.

"Of course, Emma, she is your mother," the brunette said, and then the witch surprised Emma entirely with her next statement. "Blue shall stay with us as well if she would like."

"Truly?" Emma asked.

"Truly, dear," Regina said with a smirk and a wink that made Emma's blood heat exponentially and soar to parts of her body that had yet to be explored, creating a humming, pulsating throb that made her ache for the brunette. How it was possible that something as simple as a mere twitch of Regina's full lips or a raised eyebrow or a playful wink of an eye could incite such deeply physical reactions in the princess was entirely beyond Emma's understanding, though she fought it not. In fact, she ached only for more.

Emma slowly stood from her seat at Regina's old dresser and crossed the room to stand at the foot of the massive bed. She placed a hand on one of the four large posts and turned to face her beloved, her blood still thrumming in her veins.

"And this shall be our bedchamber?" Emma asked, swallowing thickly as she met Regina's steadily darkening gaze.

"I suppose it shall, yes," the brunette answered, her own blood now boiling in her veins and her body buzzing as her passion and desire for Emma, nearly electric in its intensity, suddenly burst forth and ignited her upon hearing the stress the princess had placed upon the word "our."

Regina took cautious, yet determined steps toward the princess, entirely aware of the growing tension in the air and of the moment they were now creating with their implicative words, though she was unsure of whether or not Emma was truly ready for this. They had certainly come close several times already, their desire for one another devouring the air around them leaving them both gasping for ragged breath as they fought for control and for patience. The moment had simply never seemed right, but now, they were free. They were making grand decisions together, joyful decisions, decisions that placed them clearly on the path of building a beautiful life together, and the thrill of it only excited Regina further, her deep and infinite love for Emma only fueling her desire.

"And this," Emma continued, stepping back to trace her fingertips along the soft and smooth material blanketing the enormous bed, "shall be our bed?"

Regina could hardly breathe. The hunger in Emma's gaze was maddening and it drove her wild. A nearly painful tingling collected at the base of her spine causing her back to visibly arch into the space between them though she did her best to hold herself back, clenching her thighs tightly to alleviate the burning heat that pulsed between them. She wanted the princess, needed her in every possible way, though she would have her only if it was what Emma also desired.

A white-hot heat shot through Emma's abdomen as she met Regina's gaze, the once-chocolate orbs nearly blackened with desire. She wanted this. Oh gods, how she wanted it. She had been dreaming of it for weeks now, aching for Regina's touch, aching to touch her in return. Emma both writhed and reveled in the new sensations constantly racking her body in the wake of her ever-growing passion for the witch. She had never known such delicious pressure, such glorious pain, and they had yet to even touch.

Regina was only inches from her now, sharing Emma's breath. The air around them seemed to have thickened and heated exponentially and Emma felt a thin trail of sweat slip down her lower back, dampening the thin material of her tunic. Her entire body was tingling, quaking with her need, burning for the woman whose body was brushing gently yet torturously against hers. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice cracked, the lump in her throat stunting her words, so she relied on their bond to aid her as her body had clearly melted beyond her ability to manage even simple speech.

Regina…

Regina's body practically exploded as she heard Emma whisper inside her head. Her eyes momentarily fluttered closed as a shudder rippled down her spine, curled around her thighs, and pooled achingly between her legs, before she opened them once more to lock hungry gazes with her beloved Soul Mate.

Yes, my love? Regina asked, and her voice, too, was like a seductive explosion in Emma's mind and the blonde nearly moaned aloud as she felt everything, all that Regina felt, as it soared, tingling and slipping along the bond between their minds, their magic, and their souls. It was so overwhelming she actually feared she might not be able to remain on her feet much longer as her knees trembled violently beneath her.

Regina, I…

Tell me, Emma, Regina whispered. Tell me what it is you need, love.

Regina did her best to remain patient, wanting only to act upon Emma's command. She knew the blonde remained untouched, her innocence perfectly intact, and Regina respected this greatly and would never take this from Emma as her own was taken from her. She wanted only to be given it freely, though she hoped this would be the moment Emma would choose to do so as her mind was so hazy with desire that she could hardly think clearly enough to continue carrying on with such conversation.

Emma practically collapsed upon hearing Regina's words whispered inside her mind. She wanted anything and she needed everything, everything her beloved could give her. She wanted it all. She wanted to burst open with her passion and devour the world with her love. She could no longer hold herself back. She launched through the remaining inches separating her from her desire and crashed her lips into Regina's, her hands grasping for soft and supple hips and pulling the brunette flush against her so that not a fragment of air existed between them and still she desired to be closer.

The tingling knot at the base of Regina's spine exploded, wrenching a moan from her throat as her hands shot instantly into golden curls and her tongue swiped across a pink bottom lip, begging for entrance. Emma opened her mouth eagerly and welcomed Regina's invasion as they pushed and pulled at one another, trying desperately to get closer, to feel more and to have more.

Regina, please, Emma's ragged voice, heavy with desire even in her mind, whispered seductively to the brunette, make love to me.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four: Into the Abyss

Regina, please, make love to me.

Hearing those words echo through her mind from the one person she truly wanted to hear them from was a nearly transcendent experience for Regina as her entire body rocked and rolled within a tidal wave of physical and emotional chaos, touching every part of her, every tingling and aching inch. She pulled instantly from the heated lips of her princess's hungry kiss and locked onto the raging forest fire that burned in Emma's green eyes.

"Are you sure that is what you want, Emma?" she asked quietly, her voice ragged and raspy with want. "This can wait if you are, in any way, unsure."

Emma gulped, forcing down the lump in her throat, and nodded slowly before whispering to her love. "Is this what you want, Regina? Do you—do you want me?" Regina's heart clenched fiercely in her chest as the witch picked up on the hint of insecurity in Emma's voice. The blonde was so tender, so beautifully innocent, and Regina longed only to reassure her, to give her the love and the honesty she deserved above all.

Regina's eyes softened, cocoa slipping back into the blackened pools, as she cupped a palm to Emma's cheek and nodded. "Emma, I have neverwanted anyone as I have wanted you, as I continue to want you, and as I shall always want you." Both women shook beneath the weight of the words, bodies burning brighter and hotter than ever before.

"And it—it bothers you not that I am, that I have never…" Emma could think not how to put her quiet worries to voice, and each time she tried, her words only tangled in her throat, her cheeks flushing a bright crimson as she hoped Regina would understand all that she could not bring herself to say.

Regina smiled softly at the princess, adoring the moments of bashfulness that sometimes, though rarely, slipped through Emma's otherwise brave and confident composure. These glimpses were only for Regina, and the witch greatly cherished them, cherished every side of Emma, the light and dark, the hopeful and hopeless, the joyful and sorrowed, and the brave and fearful. She would have her no other way. Her complexity was purely beautiful, purely wondrous, and only made the witch want and love her more.

"Emma, your innocence is precious and beautiful, and it is yours to give as you choose," Regina told her, emphasizing her words as she wanted the princess to be sure to hear her, to understand that no one and nothing could take from her that which she did not or would not freely give. "And if it is I that you choose to give this to, then Emma, you must know, my love, that there is no greater honor you could provide me. You are a gift. Your body is a gift, and I will cherish it as I cherish you. Do you understand?"

The princess only nodded her understanding, tears slipping from her still-burning emerald eyes. She had never loved Regina more than she did in this moment, when this stunning woman offered her more than physical affection, more than sexual experience, more than simple love. She offered her respect, truly deep and undying respect, the kind that comes from the soul, the kind that you feel in every part of you, and Emma certainly felt it. She was completely and utterly riveted by it.

"All that I am is yours, Regina," Emma whispered as she reached for the witch's hands and placed them tenderly atop her chest. Regina could feel Emma's heart pounding wildly just beneath her palms and knew that her own pulse echoed its vibrant rhythm. A deliciously painful knot began to build at the base of her spine yet again and she thought she surely would die from the pressure rising inside her, aching to be alleviated. "I wish you to have my body as you have always had my heart."

With those words, that tingling, painful knot exploded beautifully, its aching pressure shooting up her spine and down her thighs and straight to Regina's throbbing core. A guttural moaning sob wrenched from her throat as she curled her fingers, still poised upon Emma's chest, and latched onto the thin material of her tunic, using it to pull the princess's body flush against her once more.

They slammed into one another, bodies fiercely clasping and melting into one as their lips crashed deliciously together again. Regina's hands slid up and around Emma's neck, tangling in golden locks, as the princess's fingers danced across her hips, her back, and her thighs, the blonde's fingertips like lit candlewicks burning through the thin material separating them from her flesh. Regina's tongue slid skillfully into Emma's mouth and both women moaned into the feeling of the exploration, swallowing each other's sounds as they delved deeper, dueling, brushing, tasting, and teasing, and always reaching for more.

Emma's slender, trembling hands went to the belt at Regina's waist, fumbling with the clasp for only a moment before the burdening item fell to the floor with a heavy thud. Emma pulled from the scorching kiss to press her forehead against Regina's and their eyes locked fiercely, both dark with desire as Emma slipped her fingertips beneath the soft material of the witch's top, sliding ever higher. She pulled the material as she went, her gaze never leaving Regina's and as her knuckles grazed bare flesh for the first time, both women's already ragged and labored breathing hitched in their throats. Emma continued to pull at the material, slowly revealing inch by glorious inch of Regina's perfectly soft and stunning flesh, their stare only breaking long enough for Regina to lift her arms and allow herself to be fully freed of her top.

Emma's knees nearly buckled beneath her as she took in the sight of her beloved, now entirely bare from the waist up. Her words were a quivering whisper as she breathed, "You are exquisite." Regina's smile could have rivaled the brilliance of the sun in that moment. She reached gently forward and took Emma's hands in her own. She pulled them to her naked flesh, setting one upon her trembling stomach and the other atop her heaving chest. Emma's fingertips trailed her flesh slowly, deliciously, and Regina was struck by the sheer reverence with which the blonde touched her, as if every inch of her body was a golden shrine to the gods and every tip of every finger was a prayer, a gift of worship.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as Emma's hands continued their reverent exploration, and a deep and guttural moan rose from her throat as those perfect hands moved to cup her full breasts, thumbs swiping tenderly over taut, puckered flesh that strained against palms slick with sweat. Regina arched into the touch, her back bowing forward and pressing her further into the princess. She let Emma take her time, let her set the pace and progress only as she wished, and Regina cherished every second of it, reveling in the feeling of being touched by the only person who made her feel alive, made her feel beautiful and wanted and needed and loved.

Emma's body was melting in the heat of her growing desire. It tugged low in her stomach, tingled viciously in her spine, and drummed madly between her legs. She had never felt anything like this, never knew her body could feel so wonderfully alive, so vibrant and buzzing that it was nearly electric with the fever of her want. Touching Regina was like gracing the precipice of a grand abyss in which you both longed to stay, teetering on the edge, and longed to fall forward, diving into the depths of the mystery waiting just below. She wanted it all, wanted to touch and taste every precious and glorious bit of the woman.

Regina's tiny gasps and guttural moans only intensified Emma's want and she found herself flush against the witch, her clothed chest pressed tightly against full and naked breasts and her hands now trailing up a toned back, her nails digging softly in, just enough to redden the skin as she made her way up to tangle her fingers in gorgeous chocolate locks. She pressed a hot, wet kiss to the witch's lips before kissing up her jawline until her lips planted themselves upon the hollow of Regina's ear where she whispered to the woman, her voice a seductive growl as her desires now owned her every thought and feeling. "Touch me."

Regina's vision blurred and swam as the force of her desire struck her like a battering ram, knocking the breath from her very lungs as Emma's words pierced straight through her naked flesh and dug into every singing and screaming cell in her body. Her hands flew to the hem of the blonde's tunic and Emma's hands met hers there, both of them ripping it fast and feverishly up her torso and over her head. Patience was devoured and discarded, dying in the wake of a now raging fire that burned between two women madly in love and desperate for one another.

The witch had only a moment's glance at the beauty of her beloved's newly naked upper half before Emma crashed heavily into her again and both cried out as bare flesh sparked together, static sizzling in the heat of their friction as rigid abdomens trembled and vibrated against each other and hardened, straining nipples teased one another with nearly painful yet sinfully delicious brushes of touch.

Emma's already kiss-bruised lips pressed fully against Regina's, her teeth nipping at the brunette's full bottom lip, tongue sliding in after to soothe. Her thoughts were hazy and drunk on Regina as she stumbled backward until the backs of her thighs met roughly with the edge of the enormous bed that was now theirs and she tumbled into its soft embrace, her hands pulling the witch with her as she went.

Regina fell heavily atop her wrists, her breasts brushing with Emma's as they sank into the enormous bed, and both moaned loudly with the sensation. As they crawled toward the center of the bed, Regina flicked a wrist to remove both she and Emma's heavy boots before lowering her head without warning and latching her supple lips around a taut, pink nipple. Emma cried out loudly and her hands shot to Regina's hair, tangling fiercely in the brown locks as she pushed for more of that glorious pressure. She wanted Regina to devour her entirely so that she could drown in her passion, so that she could explode inside their shared and throbbing heat.

Regina's hands touched and teased every inch of naked flesh she could find, as she sucked vigorously upon a rigid peak. She kneaded its twin between her fingertips and nearly came undone with the sounds evoked from her lover's lips. The power of their connection as Soul Mates shocked and pleased her as every delicious sensation she provided Emma, she also felt rock and rivet through her own body. It was the most powerful physical experience she had ever known.

Emma was straddling the tender line between torture and thrill as she writhed beneath Regina's mouth and hands, arching fiercely into her as the throbbing between her legs grew to painful proportions. "Gods, Regina, touch me!" Emma said again, only this time the words escaped her lips in a near scream. Her chest heaved with ragged breathing as she thrust a hand into the space between their bodies, reaching for the laces at the front of her leather pants. She yanked viciously at the leather cords, causing Regina to pull back from her deliciously torturous ministrations at Emma's breasts so that she sat up straight, now straddling the apex of the princess's thighs.

Both women were ready to explode as the weight of their own need and desire coupled with that of the other's through their magical bond, overwhelming in its intensity and Emma's patience had distinguished entirely in the wake of it. She knew not what it was her body was steadily climbing toward, only that it was climbing rapidly and she desperately wanted to reach the top. She ripped through the corded laces of her leather pants and pushed at the tight material. Just as Regina moved to help her, though, the princess growled viciously in her throat and snapped her fingers.

Both women's remaining clothing vanished from their bodies and Regina cried out loudly as her position atop her lover had her suddenly exposed and soaking core colliding instantly with Emma's, the sensation threatening her ability to remain conscious as she felt it first with her own body and then again with Emma's through their bond. Her hips rocked of their own accord, grinding into Emma's wet heat with absolute abandon as the heady, intoxicating scent of their combined arousal flooded and thickened the air around them, only driving them further into the burning depths of their desire for one another.

Regina forced in a ragged yet steadying breath, commanding her body to slow, to retreat just enough for her to regain control of the wildfire within her now burning rapidly and only growing. She nearly sobbed for the loss of the grinding pressure as she slid quickly from Emma's thighs and to the side, though she wasted no time in pulling the princess to her, positioning Emma in her lap as she pulled the blonde's long, muscular legs around her waist.

They kissed fiercely, intensely, to the point of drawing blood as their sweat-drenched bodies melded together, breasts and stomachs slipping and sliding along one another in their sitting position atop the grand bed of their royal bedchamber. Regina pulled from the passionately mad duel of their tongues to lock hungry eyes with Emma as she slipped a hand down the blonde's abdomen, her fingertips tangling momentarily in a soft triangle of light golden curls before halting and hovering just above Emma's scorching, throbbing sex.

"Do you trust me, Emma?" she husked as her fingers itched to travel the remaining inch separating her from the princess's heat. Their gazes locked, chests heaving as they panted their desire.

"I trust you," the princess answered in a broken whisper, her words too thick for her voice, her desire too thick for her body. She felt as if she might splinter apart at any moment and Regina had yet to even touch her. The combined experience of their explorations was sending her spiraling toward oblivion at a pace she could hardly keep time with.

As soon as the words slithered across her lover's lips, Regina slipped her hand further down and slid one long, slender finger through the soaking slit of Emma's pulsating sex, coating the digit thoroughly with her arousal before poising the tip at Emma's opening. She hesitated only a moment before slowly and carefully pushing the single digit into her, Emma's gloriously tight inner walls grabbing greedily at Regina's finger and sucking it further in.

Emma hissed audibly as Regina's finger slid into her before the digit halted to allow her body to adjust to an invasion she had never known before the slight second of burning passed and made way for sheer, unadulterated pleasure. Her hips rocked forward of their own accord, her body unconsciously riding Regina's hand as the pressure that had been building inside her for so achingly long now grew to epic proportions.

Regina moaned deeply, the sound rumbling in her chest as she reveled in the feeling of Emma's sex clasped tightly around her, the blonde's taught bundle of nerves grinding deliciously into the heel of her palm, and Regina could feel it all. It was if she were experiencing Emma's sensations inside herself, her pleasure whispering inside her just as Emma's thoughts often whispered inside her mind. Every touch, every quiver, every moan, every clench, and every pleasurable shudder rippled through their shared bond, and the doubled sensation was nearly orgasmic in itself.

Regina slowly slid in the tip of a second finger, progressing inch by inch as Emma's body adjusted quickly to the furthered invasion. She watched in awe as the blonde threw back her head, her teeth biting into her bottom lip and her hands tangled in Regina's hair, as her eyes clenched shut fiercely and her body doubled its pace, grinding hard and fast against the brunette's hand and the pressure of their melded bodies. Pure carnal instinct had taken over and she was helpless to do naught but follow it. Her thighs clenched tightly around Regina's waist as her body began to shake and shudder with the pressure inside that had finally reached its precipice, its tipping point. Regina kept her gaze focused on Emma's face as she pumped her fingers steadily in and out of the princess and felt as her inner walls tightened to the point of pain and still she kept her fingers moving, pushing against the bone-crushing pressure to throw her lover headlong into the first orgasm she would ever experience.

Not but seconds later, Emma's lips parted to emit a guttural cry that was part Regina's name and part muffled scream as she soared over the edge and into orgasm, her body suddenly stilling its grind atop Regina's hand as tremors racked her body hard and fast and oh so deliciously. In that moment, as Emma's orgasm rocked through her body, Regina knew she had never seen anything more beautiful and felt the pleasure ripple through her own core as if she herself had only just leapt headlong into climax. It was powerful and wonderful and so much more than words would ever allow her to express to the blonde.

Bursts of light popped behind Emma's eyelids and for a second she feared she might faint, but the sensation quickly passed so that her hips began an easy rocking once more, her body riding out the remains of the earth-shattering experience until it finally dissipated and she slumped heavily against her beloved, her face burying into chocolate locks and her eyelids instantly drooping as Regina slowly and carefully slipped her soaking fingers from Emma's sex and wrapped her arms around the blonde's sweat-slicked back in a tight and loving embrace.

Regina held Emma there for long moments, simply reveling in the trembling remains of the soul-shaking moment they had just shared before carefully slipping the blonde from her lap, Emma's thighs quivering violently as they unclenched from around the witch's waist. Regina crawled to the head of the massive bed and pulled back the cover so that she could slip herself and the princess between blessedly cool and comforting sheets.

Once settled, Regina pulled Emma into her embrace once more, nestling the blonde's head against her bare chest as she stroked her fingers lovingly through a tousled and unruly golden mane. She planted soft kisses in the curls and smiled sweetly at her beloved's fluttering eyelashes, sheer exhaustion consuming the princess in her entirety. Emma fought to stay conscious as she clung tightly to Regina, comforted by the salty scent that settled on the brunette's skin.

"Regina," she whispered, her words slurred and slow, "I want to feel you."

Regina's smile only grew as she heard the princess's barely audible words, the blonde already slipping into slumber. "You will, love," Regina told her, "you will, but sleep now. We have all the time in the world."

The fallen queen had never known such joy in all her life. Her heart swelled to bursting as she took in the sight of her precious Soul Mate, Emma's eyes finally fully closed and her labored breathing calmed to a deep and steady rhythm. She leaned in once more to plant one last kiss to her princess's temple and whispered the words that danced beautifully inside her soul.

"I love you, Emma."

Regina then settled her chocolate locks into the cool comfort of a plush pillow and reached for her own slumber, and just as she drifted into unconscious, she heard Emma's beautifully melodic voice whisper softly inside her mind.

And I love you.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Shared Pillow

Dark blonde lashes fluttered open to reveal hazy emerald eyes as the princess stretched languidly between the sheets of a massive bed. Emma's features momentarily contorted as she glanced around confusedly before remembering where exactly she was. She rested a soft hand atop her chest, and feeling only bare flesh there, she glanced quickly down and under the sheets. The sight of her nudity sent a riveting wave through her mind as the memories of all that had transpired the previous night came rushing back in a flickering collection of decadent imagery.

Emma slid a hand slowly down her abdomen and pressed gentle fingers to her exposed sex. She felt the slight soreness that stung with the pressure of her touch, a perfect reminder of what she had willingly and wonderfully endured. She smiled softly to herself and pulled her hand back as she rolled onto her side to find a beautiful and peacefully slumbering brunette just to her right. One of Regina's hands rested softly beneath her cheek while the other clutched her plush pillow; her knees were pulled up, tucked tightly into her chest so that she appeared even younger than usual.

Emma's lips stretched with a beautiful smile as she took in the sight of her beloved Soul Mate, breathtaking in her carefree state of slumber. She reached out a gentle hand to tuck away strands of chocolate hair fallen across a flawless face, and that was when a flash of color caught the princess's eye. Her brow furrowed as she took in the small streak of crimson on Regina's pillow before noticing that the same color, dried and faded, slightly tinted the fingers and palm of the witch's right hand. Blood.

Regina's features were serene. She seemed not to be harmed or in pain, but Emma could help not the panic that rose quickly in her chest. She could see no visible wound or source for the blood and her panic only rose further, and before she realized what she was doing, she was clutching onto the witch's shoulder and shaking her, though she did, at least, manage to be gentle.

"Regina!" She hissed at the woman. "Regina, please wake." Emma could feel tears stinging her eyes and filtering into her lashes as she continued to shake her beloved from slumber. Warm, cocoa eyes fluttered open and a stunning smile instantly spread over Regina's supple lips as the princess came into focus, but then the witch noticed the hint of fear decorating Emma's features and the subtle tears swimming in her emerald eyes, and her smile quickly faded.

Regina's head instantly popped from her pillow, her features contorting with concern and her chest clenching tightly as a trillion terrifying possibilities shot through the witch's mind. With the life she had lived, Regina had long ago learned to expect the worst. "Emma, what is it? Has something happened?"

"There is blood, Regina," the princess whispered, a single tear dropping from her lashes as she pointed to the red streak tainting the otherwise immaculate sheet of the brunette's pillow before clutching onto the woman's wrist to bring her tinted right hand into view. "You have been bleeding. Have you been wounded?"

Regina breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she realized the source of her love's panic and instantly relaxed, a small smile gracing her lips as she shushed her frightened princess. "Emma, it is alright," she reassured the blonde. "I am well. Calm your heart, dear." The witch leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before further explaining. "It is your blood, Emma."

Regina then shifted in the bed and pulled the warm sheets from their bodies, a rush of cool air sending a shiver through both women. Her own body heated instantly at the sight of Emma's nudity, though she tamped down her sudden urges as her desire and need to reassure and comfort her love took precedence. She placed a gentle hand atop Emma's thigh and motioned for the blonde to inspect herself. Emma lifted to her elbows and glanced to where Regina's hand now rested on her inner thigh, the brunette's index finger pointing to several similar dried streaks of crimson there. The princess noticed also, her body now bathed in the sunlight streaming through the large windows, two other streaks across her left ribcage, the exact shape of Regina's fingers where the witch had lifted Emma from her lap after their lovemaking.

"You see?" Regina said as she stroked Emma's thigh sweetly. "This happens with the first time, love. It is natural." The princess let out a heavy breath and visibly relaxed, greatly comforted by Regina's reassurance, though she could help not the blush that then painted her fair cheeks at having panicked needlessly. Regina flicked a wrist, instantly removing all traces of the blood from her hand, the bed, and Emma's body, before she crawled back up to the princess's side, pulling the sheets with her to shroud them in blessed warmth once more. She ran a hand through Emma's hair as they lay side by side facing one another, their heads sharing the same pillow and only a breath apart.

"You need not be embarrassed, Emma," she said, her voice like a loving lullaby in Emma's ears. The princess gave a small smile and a quiet laugh that melted Regina's heart as the blonde lifted a hand to wipe away a few lingering tears at the corner of her eye. They lay there silently many long moments simply staring into each other's eyes, and their hands each snaked forward under the sheets, unconsciously reaching for the other's and lacing together the slim space between their bare bodies. Their hearts beat in perfectly synchronized rhythm, their breathing deep and relaxed as they reveled in the feeling of being finally together and finally free, of having finally known the physical feel of each other.

"I never knew it could be like that," Emma whispered shyly after a while as she stroked the tips of Regina's slender fingers with her own and her legs tangled comfortably with the witch's.

Regina smiled beautifully and whispered honestly in return, "Nor did I."

"But—" Emma began, only to be instantly cut off by the brunette who seemed already to know her train of thought.

"I will not lie to you, Emma," she said, and her features flickered momentarily with sorrow and perhaps, even, a hint of regret as she continued. "While Leopold was my first, I bedded many in my time as queen." A white-hot flash of jealousy shot unbidden through Emma's heart, though she did her best to fight the feeling, knowing these escapades were long in the past, in what now seemed much as another life for the witch. She softened her eyes and continued to stroke Regina's fingers, encouraging her to continue, and she did. "Never was it out of love, though. Never did I cherish the experience as I have with you, and never did I know such pleasure as I knew this past night."

Emma was truly stunned by this given she, herself, had no experience with such things and it had been only Regina pleasuring her the night before and receiving nothing in return. "But Regina," she countered, "I did not even touch you. You gave me such pleasure, and yet, I gave you nothing." Sorrow etched her features as she spoke, which made the witch's heart flutter sweetly in her chest before melting.

"Oh Emma, my love," Regina whispered, reaching up a hand to caress the princess's soft cheek, "you have given me everything, all that I have ever hoped for. Your pleasure is my own, love. This much I knew before making love to you, but Emma, it was so much more than I ever expected. I could feel your pleasure through our bond as if our bodies were one. It was truly…powerful." The last word was but a breathless sigh of awe and reverence as Regina recalled the memory of the previous night, the incredible way in which she had shared Emma's experience, every last rippling shudder of ecstasy.

Emma smiled brightly and nodded against their shared pillow. "I felt it as well," she told the witch. "Your desire and thrill were as fire in my veins. I felt as if I might explode." She laughed with her confession and the sound, as always to Regina, was utterly infectious. She chuckled softly with the blonde and leaned forward to press a tender kiss to the tip of the princess's nose before placing another atop her perfectly soft, pink lips.

They laced their fingers together once more, reveling in simple touches and tender stares, as Emma spoke again. "Shall it always exhaust me so?" she asked, her cheeks pinking again with embarrassment. She was instantly comforted, though, by her beloved's answering smile.

"Not as you were, no," Regina answered her, forever patient, open, and understanding with her lover. "You will grow accustomed to the intensity of the sensation and eventually be able to enjoy the experience many times before requiring rest. However, your exhaustion will be well earned should I continue to serve you well." She smiled brightly with her last words and poked playfully at the princess's side before dropping a chaste kiss to Emma's exposed shoulder.

A flash of worry scrunched Emma's features adorably as she whispered behind a heavy blush to the witch. "What if—what if I am unable to serve you well, Regina?" she asked timidly. "What if I cannot pleasure you as you have me? What if-?"

Regina quickly placed a finger to Emma's lips to quiet her sudden torrent of worried insecurities and questions. "Emma, you need not worry on this, dear," she told the blonde. "You are my one True Love, my Soul Mate. No other could ever pleasure me as you shall. This, I promise you." She then rolled onto her back and pulled the princess flush to her side, stroking golden curls as Emma rested her head atop her chest and took to tracing gentle patterns and shapes across the brunette's stomach with her fingertips. "Besides, love, it is mostly a matter of physical instinct. Your body will know how to act and react, and with time and repetition, you will grow more familiar with my body, as well as your own, and more adept in your actions."

Emma mulled this over in her mind before deciding she was satisfied with the information and nodded against Regina's bare chest. She turned her head slightly in to place sweet, tender kisses to the flesh there, loving the way the witch's back arched involuntarily as Emma brushed her lips across an already hardening peak. She turned quickly and propped herself up on her elbows, smiling wickedly at the brunette as she dropped a kiss to Regina's chin and then to her full, supple lips. "Perhaps I should try now?" she asked teasingly, though her body caught fire at the thought, and through their bond, she felt Regina's do the same.

Regina chuckled low in her throat before tugging playfully at the golden curls wrapped around her fingers. "As wonderful as that would be, love, your mother must be worrying herself over our absence by now." Emma groaned aloud which only had the witch laughing once more, and though she knew Regina was right and that they should return soon to the cabin, she wanted only to stay where they were, wrapped warmly around each other in a perfect moment that she longed to extend forever.

"Come now, I will draw us a bath, and then we can be off," Regina said, pressing quick kisses to Emma's cheeks, to which the princess responded by groaning loudly again and shaking her head from side to side before burying her face in a pillow. Regina found it all incredibly adorable and so she continued to play with the blonde. "So, you will not come?" she asked, adding a clear pout to her face and tone. The princess offered only a grunt of denial, though she finally turned her face from the pillow. She locked gazes with Regina just in time to see a truly wicked smirk paint the witch's face, which had Emma's cells instantly buzzing with heat.

"Very well," Regina sighed dramatically, and Emma could not prevent her audible gasp as the brunette threw aside their sheets and rose from the bed, gloriously naked in the glow of the sunlight streaming through the windows, her back turned to the princess. "I suppose I shall have to bathe alone then," she said, smiling devilishly over her shoulder at the blonde before making her way from the bed to the large washroom adjacent to their bedchamber, her hips swaying maddeningly with her strut. Emma nearly drooled as she watched the woman go. Regina's toned shoulders, back, bottom, and legs on full display were like seduction personified and had the princess quickly leaping from the bed to chase after her beloved. Regina's sultry and melodic laughter echoed from the marble walls and through Emma's swollen heart as the princess dashed madly through the doorway.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six: Scents and Surprises

The princess and the fallen queen appeared in the middle of the cabin to the sound of heavy buckets crashing to the floor, splashing and spilling water around a stunned and relieved Red's feet as she had only just walked through the rear door of the cabin. Red seemed not to even notice or care about the mess as she instantly launched across the small open room, grabbing her golden-haired daughter and pulling her into a crushing embrace.

"Emma!" She practically shouted into the girl's ear before pulling back and cupping her face and giving her body a quick scan to ensure she was indeed well. She then planted swift kisses across the blonde's cheek before pulling her back into another suffocating embrace. Emma, though used to Red's superhuman strength, grunted with the force her mother's arms around her but accepted and returned the embrace as best she could, never tiring of the intensity with which the tall brunette had always and would always care for her.

Regina smiled brightly at the show of affection, laughing softly as her beloved strained beneath the crushing strength of the wolf's worry. Her laughter quickly died, though, and was replaced with a heavy grunt of her own as Red turned from her daughter with preternatural speed and had the fallen queen then wrapped in an equally bone-shattering embrace. Regina reveled in the feeling of Red's maternal and protective nature, despite the ache to her ribcage. No one in her life had ever truly cared for her wellbeing before and she had certainly always been starved for a mother's affection and a mother's concern. It was a truly wonderful feeling that she yearned for and cherished more than she would ever care to admit aloud.

"Oh, thank gods! I was worried terribly for you both!" Red scolded them as she finally pulled back to face both women with her hands propped atop her hips. "I could not even sleep and have been outside of my mind this morning, keeping busy to occupy myself. It is fortunate that we are outside of the White Kingdom as I could only assume the worst and would surely have marched into the palace demanding your return."

Regina could only smile and laugh at the domesticity of it all while Emma actually bowed her head, ashamed to have frightened her mother so. "I am sorry, Mother," the princess said quietly, which instantly softened the wolf and had Red relaxing her posture, her beautiful smile returning to her features. "We meant not to worry you so."

"It is alright, love," Red told her. "I am simply grateful to see you both are well and returned, though you certainly could have informed me that you would not be returning home this past night."

"I am sorry, Red," Regina finally spoke, her smiling only growing as she explained. "The fault was mine. Emma was quite exhausted this past night and required much rest. I thought it best to allow her this before traveling home. I should have thought to magically contact and inform you of this. It shall not happen again." A heavy and deeply crimson blush crept into Emma's cheeks, growing as quickly and as abundantly as the witch's wicked smirk and smile, which only caused Red's eyes to narrow though she seemed entirely unaware and unsuspecting of the unspoken implications. Her brown eyes zeroed in on the princess as Regina's words caused her concern to flare once more.

"Are you unwell, Emma?" Red asked, moving to her child's side and placing a soft hand to her forehead and cheeks. "You feel quite warm and appear rather flushed. Why were you exhausted so?" Emma's blush only deepened, extending down her fair neck and chest, disappearing beneath the material of her tunic.

"Oh, you need not worry yourself," Regina spoke again, answering for the princess who now seemed unable to convince her tongue to work properly and speak. The brunette witch could hardly keep herself from laughing upon seeing her princess squirm so beneath Red's watchful eyes and her own continued teasing. She continued only a moment longer with the torturous innuendo she assumed was understood only by herself and the blonde before relieving Emma's obvious tension with a proper excuse for their absence that actually was quite accurate, though not the entire truth. "Emma is well, Red. Quite well, actually. She performed great magic this past day and was thoroughly drained. She is well rested now, though."

Red, however, was incredibly perceptive and relied upon her heightened senses to fill in the obvious blanks and explain her child's steadily pinking flesh and discomfort. She inhaled deeply through her nose, detecting much in the air surrounding the two women before her. A swirl of scents assaulted her nose—the unique yet familiar smell of Regina and Emma's combined magic, hints of dust and dirt, fresh water and soap, silk and linen, and underneath it all, masked well but obvious, was the lingering, yet heady scent of arousal and sex. Sudden recognition and realization washed over the wolf and though she was slightly discomforted by the knowledge, she was surprised not by it. She trusted Regina greatly with her child and truthfully found Emma's embarrassment and bashfulness rather endearing. She schooled her features, though, to halt the smile that threatened her lips, and allowed the two to continue with their charade, playing along.

"Great magic?" she asked. "Were you attacked?" Emma, relaxed greatly by Regina's expert excuse and her mother's seeming acceptance of it, finally found her voice again. She placed a calming and comforting hand atop Red's forearm and stroked her gently.

"Mother, calm yourself," she said sweetly. "We have endured no attack or harm. We are both well. It is true I performed much magic this past day, but I did so as a gift for Regina as well as for you." Red was genuinely surprised by this and a wave of excitement rushed through her though she knew not what the two had in store for her.

"A gift for me?" she questioned, a beautiful smile lighting her features. Both Regina's and Emma's hearts swelled at the sight of the joy on Red's face and they hoped the wolf would be just as joyful upon learning the nature of the gift.

"Yes, it shall be a surprise, though," Emma told her, giddy now with excitement.

"Come," Regina said, her own heart racing with the thrill of the coming surprise, "we shall take you there now, though we must first collect Blue."

Red was a bundle of nerves and excitement now and practically clapped her hands with glee as her smile only grew, though just before she jumped happily between the two women to be whisked away in a swirl of magic, she turned and leveled a teasing glare at the brunette witch. "Very well," she said and had to force herself not burst into laughter as she continued. "Do not assume, however, that this means I shall forget the fact that you bedded my daughter this past night."

Emma instantly and audibly choked, a torrent of emotions rippling across her features as her head snapped up and her eyes darted back and forth between the two brunettes—shock, confusion, fear, embarrassment—and her face pinked once more. Red arched a playful eyebrow and propped one hand on her hip while she used the other to tap a telling finger to her nose.

Regina sensed the playfulness in Red's teasing words and reaction, and she simply could not help herself, bursting finally into the fit of laughter she had been withholding since their arrival. Since her rescue from the cavern, growing into this beautiful family that had so kindly and willingly accepted and taken her in, Regina had laughed, truly laughed, more than she could ever recall doing so in her life. She had never known such joy and in such simple things. It was a blessing beyond words.

You are not helping, Regina. Regina only laughed harder as Emma's frustrated whimper echoed through her mind.

Relax, love, she answered. It is fine. 

Emma groaned loudly and made to hide her face, but Red only smiled at the adorable show of embarrassment and planted a loving kiss atop the princess's forehead. "Be not embarrassed, Emma," she told the blonde. "I trust in your decisions and I trust Regina to care well for you." Red smiled brightly as the princess peeked through her fingers at her and could not help but make one final tease as she made to stand between her daughter and Regina, clasping one hand tightly in the witch's and reaching up to take one of Emma's from her face and thread her fingers through the blonde's.

"Welcome to womanhood, darling," she said, and Emma simply bowed her head, utterly mortified, as the three of them disappeared in a cloud of swirling magic with only the sounds of Red's and Regina's shared laughter lingering in their wake.

The three women appeared before the wooden door of Blue's quaint, little cottage just outside of the village. They knocked and were made to wait only a moment before the door swung gently open and the former fairy stood smiling before them.

"Oh!" the petite brunette exclaimed happily. "You found them!" Both Emma and Regina turned a playful, knowing look to Red who was now sporting a slight blush of her own.

"I was worried!" Red declared, defending herself, though her blush only grew as Blue disclosed further of the wolf's actions the previous night.

"I would certainly say so," the former fairy agreed. "She nearly knocked my door from its hinges mid-moon to ask if I had heard from either of you."

Red cleared her throat loudly amidst the laughter of the other three women and said, "Yes, well, apparently my daughter and Regina were rather too preoccupied with their activities to spare me of my worry."

"Oh?" Blue asked, intrigued, at the same time that the blonde princess exclaimed, "Mother!"

Regina could only grin as she had been, a wicked stretch of lips that claimed the cat had clearly gotten the canary. "Yes, we have a surprise in store for Red," she told the petite brunette while Red and Emma continued to poke at one another.

Blue smiled brightly and nodded before asking if the trio would like to join her inside as she was only just making tea. "No, thank you, Blue," Regina said kindly. "We actually have come to collect you if you are free to take leave."

"Oh?" the former fairy prompted before asking, "May I ask where we shall be traveling?"

"You may not!" Emma exclaimed, giddy with excitement once more as she and her mother rejoined the conversation, Red's arm wrapped affectionately around the princess's shoulders.

"The surprise is for you as well," Regina explained and her smile grew upon seeing Blue's expression. She seemed truly surprised, but more so, she seemed deeply touched.

"A surprise for me?" she asked quietly as she stepped over the threshold of her cottage door, pulling the wood closed behind her.

"For us both," Red answered as Emma and Regina nodded at her sides.

Blue could only smile as she nodded and stepped forward into the circle of women, reaching to take to one each of Regina's and Emma's hands while the wolf clutched the other two. The princess and the witch shared a knowing and excited glance as the same stunning image painted itself into their minds and carried them magically away to their destination.

When the four women appeared before the magnificent, towering presence of Regina's former castle, both Red and Blue were instantly wide-eyed and speechless. They followed the witch and the princess as the two made their way up the path and toward the massive, ornate doors that led into the grand entrance hall.

Once inside, Regina and Emma led them into the vast entrance hall. Both the wolf and the former fairy took in the immaculate beauty of the castle, slack-jawed and truly stunned by the sight. "But I was made to believe your palace was in shambles," Blue said, turning to face the brunette witch, her expression curious though still riddled with awe.

"It was indeed," Regina answered her sadly.

"I have restored it with magic," Emma said happily as she reached to take her beloved's hand and squeeze it comfortingly and affectionately. Regina smiled sweetly at her and pressed a chaste kiss to her fair cheek.

"Emma," Red said breathlessly, "it is magnificent. You have done beautifully, my child."

"There are eight hundred and twelve rooms in total," Regina told the two brunettes, which had even Emma dropping her jaw as the White Castle had just barely over half that number and she had not realized how truly massive Regina's palace had been, "three hundred and six of which are bedchambers, though the majority of these were staff quarters and are all fairly similar and of lesser quality. There are over fifty royal bedchambers located throughout the upper floors of the palace, though, and with the exception of my own chambers in the North Tower, you both are free to choose whichever chambers you like."

Both Blue and Red snapped to attention upon hearing these words, their lips moving wordlessly as they stared at the witch and princess in shock. Emma and Regina simply grinned like giddy children before the fallen queen stepped forward and took each of their hands in her own.

"Welcome to your new home," she said sweetly, her heart swelling exponentially. She finally had a family and true, overwhelming joy.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven: All Falls Into Place

Emma felt like a child again as she slinked along the many hidden passageways of her new home, the palace of her beloved, the former Evil Queen. They had been living in the palace nearly two weeks now, and it had only taken two days for the golden-haired princess to discover the first of many secret passageways. It had been a favored pastime of hers as a child in the White Castle, and given her adventurous nature and curious mind, she simply could not help herself. Regina's castle was enormous and intricately designed, every hidden passage made with clear purpose and Emma could just imagine Regina or even a young Snow White running about the castle, hidden within the very walls, spying on others or simply hiding from responsibilities neither cared nor desired to see to.

Regina found Emma's excitement over the labyrinth of secret passageways and chambers simply adorable, reveled in the way the blonde's face would light up when she came bounding from behind a massive painting, mirror, or tapestry only to have Blue, or even Regina herself, yelping in surprise. Red, though, rarely seemed surprised, as her heightened senses, of course, often informed her of the princess's arrival long before she ever actually appeared. The fallen queen took great pleasure in Emma's thrill over discovering the many secrets that her palace had to offer. She desired only for the place to feel as home for the princess, as their home.

Red sat atop the grand bed of one of the many royal chambers of her new home. She had chosen chambers relatively near those shared by Emma and Regina, always wanting to be close to her child in case she was ever needed, though she had kept a decent distance as well, wanting to give the two women their privacy and not seem as an overbearing mother. Nearly two weeks had come and gone, and the wolf still had difficulty believing she now lived in a palace, and not just any palace, but that of the former Evil Queen—a castle the size of a small country with more rooms than one could explore in a month's time. Yes, she had been the dearest friend of the reigning queen, Snow White, and had visited the White Castle many times, often spending several days and nights there at a time, but she had never truly lived in such lush and lavish conditions. She was growing accustomed to it, though, and Regina's castle grounds stretched further than the eye could see, rich with woods, gardens, and meadows, which meant that during Wolf's Time, Red could run to her heart's desire and that truly thrilled her.

The tall brunette's ears perked up as the muffled sounds of feet shuffling and light breathing filtered through the thick stone walls of her chambers. The familiar scent of sunlight, fresh grass, and something richer that was entirely her daughter brought a beautiful smile to the wolf's face. Emma. The blonde spent much of her days in the meadows as of late, exploring the vast grounds, and the smell of the outdoors had come to coat her very skin it seemed.

"You may as well come in, Emma," Red announced to the seemingly empty room, chuckling softly as she heard her child's quiet sigh. Only seconds later, a large bookshelf to the right of the massive bed shifted forward before sliding smoothly from its position to reveal a narrow opening and a golden-haired Emma. It was the first passage the princess had discovered in the palace and had greatly influenced Red's choice of chambers as this particular hidden corridor led from the wolf's chambers to a large painting just outside the doors to Emma's own chambers.

"I can never surprise you," the blonde grumbled as she padded into the room. She crawled atop the bed just as the bookshelf shifted back into its original position. Red only laughed and waited as Emma rolled onto her back and laid her head in the brunette's lap before letting her hands fall to the familiar comfort and rhythm of stroking through her daughter's wild and beautiful hair. "You always sense me."

"Ah, yes, the many downfalls of having a werewolf as a mother," Red chuckled before letting the room fall to silence. She knew that something was bothering her daughter as Emma only ever crawled into her bed or into her lap whenever she was truly in need of the sort of comfort only a mother could provide, and she knew that the princess would open up to her without prompting. She simply needed to find her words and perhaps, her courage, to speak of whatever was currently plaguing her.

Red reveled in moments such as these, cherished them beyond anything, as they always took her back to the days of Emma's childhood, when she would cry out for Red in the middle of the night. The wolf would cradle and rock her, singing and soothing the girl until she could fall sweetly back into slumber, no longer tormented by night terrors or fears for her cursed witch. It was in those moments, in the dead of night, with a golden-haired girl wrapped safely in her embrace, that Red felt truly and wonderfully significant. She felt needed, adored—vital; responsible for the life of another, for the happiness of another. It was truly the best kind of feeling, terrifying as well as incredible, and so deeply moving. Nothing, not even the sensation of living within the body of a wolf, had ever made her feel more alive or more powerful. Nothing had ever mattered to her as much as the tiny princess who had needed her more than anyone had ever needed her in her entire life, the tiny princess who had grown into the beautiful, young woman now lying sweetly in her lap, still and forever needing her.

"May I speak freely, Mother?" Emma asked quietly, her words expelled in a heavy sigh, as she finally broke the silence of the room.

"Of course, love," Red told her, her gentle hands still weaving through her daughter's curls. "You may always come to me with your troubles, Emma. You may speak with me of anything. You know this."

Emma took a steadying breath before nodding and whispering, "I am conflicted." Red simply nodded, waiting for the blonde to continue, and she did. "I…Regina and I, we have yet to be physically intimate since our first encounter." Her fair cheeks flushed a deep crimson, anxious that such a subject may cause her mother discomfort, but the brunette only continued to stroke her, a simple smile of understanding settled atop her lips, as she remained open and listening.

"I desire her," Emma went on, "as fiercely as one person can desire another. I long to have her and to express my love in every manner, and yet, I…I am halted by my fear, by my insecurity. I believe Regina senses as much as I can feel her desire through our bond and yet, she never pushes, and many nights, we simply lie together. We laugh and converse until the dawn breaks, and so many times, I ache to touch her, but I…I…"

"You are afraid," Red finished for her, softly.

"Yes," the princess whispered, nodding. "She is as fire in my very veins, and when our lips touch or our skin brushes, my head is naught but a dizzied mess of thought and emotion. The sensations are so overwhelming, so powerful, and I want to give in to them. I want to be overpowered by them, but I also want to please her. I want to please her more than I have wanted anything in my life."

"And you fear you will be unable to do so?" Red asked knowingly.

"I do," she said, a single tear slipping from an emerald orb. "When we made love, Regina was wonderful, and careful, and…perfect, and though I longed to give her equal pleasure, I laid not a hand on her. I succumbed to my fear and to my exhaustion."

"Have you spoken with her of this?"

"Only once," Emma told her mother. "It was in the morning after. I voiced my fear, and she implored me not to worry, that it would be as instinct and that I would learn well in time."

"She is right, you know," Red said softly after a few moments of silence. The wolf ached for her child's insecurities, though she could help not but to feel elated that Emma felt so comfortable as to share them with her, as to share such sensitive and secret confessions of her soul. She reveled in that feeling again, the feeling of being needed. "It is a matter of instinct and you certainly will learn with time, Emma. It is natural, though, to worry and to be insecure."

"I have no experience in the matter," Emma told her, her voice cracking a bit as she continued. "I desire only to pleasure her, for her to feel as intensely and wonderfully sated as I did. Yet, I feel hopeless to do so. I want only to provide for her, Mother, and yet I feel as if I have nothing to give. I can give her nothing she has not already gained or been given in another life, in her life as queen. She had many lovers, wealth, and incredible power. How could she ever be, ever remain, satisfied with me when all that she had before was so much more?"

Tears now ran a constant stream down the princess's cheeks as she burrowed further into her mother's lap, her head nuzzling the brunette's abdomen. Red ached deeply for her daughter's fear, the blonde's tears speaking even louder volumes than her words. She could only imagine the true intensity of Emma's insecurity. Regina's past was certainly intimidating and seemed, on the surface, a grand and lavish history; however, Red knew, and she believed Emma truly knew as well, that the surface only ever exists to hide what lies beneath. Regina had never known true comfort in her life as queen or even before. The grandiose mask her rich life provided was naught more than a safe place to hide all that she truly felt—her own fear, her own deep and echoing sorrow, her own pain, and her own terrible loneliness. Red knew as much. She could see it in Regina's eyes, could sense it in the way the fallen queen clung so beautifully and so desperately to Emma and to all of them, her new family, perhaps the only family Regina had ever really known.

"Oh Emma," Red whispered, brushing away her daughter's tears with gentle fingertips. "You must know, my child, that Regina's past, her life as queen, was never truly her own. Her wealth and power, even her former lovers, could never fill the void within. She was unhappy in that life, Emma, deeply unhappy, and while you may fear you have nothing to provide, and while you may have little experience to rely on, you dohave something to give. You have the only thing that Regina has ever truly wanted."

"What?" Emma asked, her face buried in Red's abdomen and her voice muffled by the material there, making her appear and sound as the small child she once had been.

"Love, Emma," Red told her, smiling sweetly down upon her crying pup, "True, undying, and unconditional love." Those words pulled the princess's head from where she had been hiding in her mother's embrace. She looked up at the wolf and could not help but to echo her mother's smile. Love. She did indeed have that. She had a wealth of it, and where Regina was concerned, her love was fierce and forever.

"That is all Regina needs, Emma. That is what truly makes her heart sing. It is what truly makes her happy, and when you have love, True Love, all the rest falls into place, my darling. When you have that kind of love, you need not fear anything, Emma. Your hearts and your bodies will be as one. You can do nothing but please her; it will not be within you to fail. Do you see?"

Emma devoured the comforting words, letting the truth of them ease her raging soul, and for the first time since her one glorious night with her beloved, she felt truly and overwhelmingly ready. She felt confident. She felt as if she could conquer universes with her passion and with her love. Red could always make her feel as such—so invincible, perfect and brilliant just as she was.

Not even caring as to how childish it seemed, Emma lifted from her position and crawled, full-bodied, right into her mother's lap. Red accepted her weight easily as Emma wrapped her arms fiercely around the brunette only to have the embrace returned just as fiercely. "Thank you," Emma whispered against Red's soft, chocolate locks, and they both breathed in the familiar and comforting scent of one another.

"Always, Emma." Red planted a tender kiss to the princess's temple and only held her tighter. "Always."

Emma soared from Red's bedchamber and through the hidden passageway behind the bookshelf, emerging from behind a massive painting just outside the doors to the chambers she shared with her Soul Mate. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but her body was crackling with energy, with desire, and with a sheer confidence she had only just discovered. She could sense Regina inside and so she slipped quietly through the large double doors, closing and latching them behind her.

She could see that the massive, floor-to-ceiling, double windows across from their shared bed were open, which meant Regina was on her beloved balcony. Emma knew how the fallen queen so loved the balcony, gazing out over the grand expanse of the lands she once ruled and looked upon, imagining freedom and longing for escape, looking to the stars and hoping to see them fall for her. The balcony had been her only sanctuary for many, achingly long years.

The princess crossed the room to stand in the open arch of the windows, and sure enough, there she found her love, leaning gracefully into the balcony railing, her flawless figure dressed in a simple, yet elegant dress the color of night, and her entire body awash in the glow of the setting sun. Emma's breath hitched tightly in her throat, the sight clenching onto her heart like a desperate fist and sending roaring waves of desire rippling through her body, but her confidence, this time, did not falter. She was ready. She wanted this, needed it more than words could express. She ached to have Regina, to please her in every way possible.

Regina, lost in thought atop her balcony as she took in the beauty of the surrounding land now washed in reds, yellows, and oranges, felt a sudden shiver shoot down her spine. Her body instantly buzzed and tingled as the air around her grew thick and heady with tension. She spun on the spot only to have her breath slam forcefully through her lips at the sight of her beloved princess standing in the open archway, the fading sunlight streaming through her golden hair. There was a hunger in Emma's eyes that Regina had never seen there; she knew of the princess's passion for her, had felt it deeply in their one beautiful night of lovemaking when Emma had willingly and lovingly given up her innocence to the fallen queen, yet they had not been intimate since that night. Regina had been able to sense her love's insecurity and wanted not to push her, wanted not to make her feel as if she ever had any obligation to fulfill a physical relationship she may not have been fully ready for. Her eyes now, though, spoke only volumes of confidence and pure, unadulterated, undiluted desire.

Their gazes locked hard and fast, and the air crackled deliciously with Emma's energy. Regina was so overwhelmed with the magnitude of the desire rolling wildly off of the princess that she had to take deep, steadying breaths just to keep her body in place, to keep from launching herself at the blonde and taking her right there on the balcony. Her body was already so painfully alight with her want that she had to forcefully clench her thighs to alleviate some of the pressure, while she waited for Emma to move, waited for Emma to breathe, waited for Emma to say something, do something, just waited…for Emma.

She could feel Emma's overwhelming, overpowering want and need through their bond, and it both startled and thrilled her. Her entire being filled so fully with the princess that she feared her knees might buckle beneath her, her desire so intense and so deeply yearning that she could hardly think or breathe. Regina had not been intimately touched or physically pleasured in two full decades, and there was only one person's touch she desired—Emma's. She felt as if she had been waiting entire lifetimes for what she hoped was about to happen, and in a way, she actually had. She cared not about Emma's inexperience as she knew wholeheartedly that anything, everything the blonde could give her would thrill her in ways she could not even begin to imagine; that is, if the tension did not kill her first as it certainly threatened to do so now. Oh gods, give me strength, she thought only to herself and hoped the blonde would not hear.

Just as the tension had become much too painful to bear any longer and Regina had determined to break the silence, Emma flew into action. She shot across the balcony, closing the distance between them, and threw a hand into Regina's chocolate locks just at the back of her neck and another at the brunette's hip. She quickly and roughly pulled the fallen queen forward and brought her lips crashing hard, fast, and hungrily into Regina's, her tongue demanding entry before dipping in and claiming the taste of her love.

Regina did not even attempt to steady herself or maintain some semblance of control. Her passion commanded her entirely. Her knees buckled heavily beneath her with the force of Emma's kiss and sent her weight spiraling into the princess, who only held onto her tighter. Emma then thoroughly surprised the brunette by bending quickly at the knees, her hands shooting to the hem of Regina's dress and yanking the light material up around her hips. The muscles of the blonde's arms rippled as her hands then dug into Regina's bare thighs beneath the dress and lifted the fallen queen smoothly from the ground. Regina yelped in surprise only to follow with a heavy, guttural moan as her legs instinctually locked themselves around the princess's waist and Emma brought the already thoroughly soaked fabric of Regina's undergarments still clinging to her throbbing core, crashing roughly against her abdomen.

Emma turned with Regina firmly in her arms and made her way back through the open archway of the balcony and into their bedchamber as she planted hot, wet kisses along Regina's jaw, who could only moan and pant in response, her desire rippling through their bond like a tidal wave of repressed emotion. Emma's own thighs trembled with the force of it. Just as she made it to their massive bed, she planted her lips over the hollow of Regina's ear and whispered, "I am ready."

Regina nearly climaxed on the spot as she heard the princess whisper seductively, confidently, in her ear, and she knew that the moment had finally come when they would give themselves over to one another,both of them. Their first encounter had been about Emma. It was the way Regina had wanted it, the way she felt it had needed to be, but this, now—this was about them, both of them. It was about their passion and their desire. It was about their body-rocking, soul-shaking, earth-shattering connection and love.

Their mouths met greedily again, devouring one another as Emma lowered them to the bed, pushing Regina back only to crawl quickly atop her. Regina could not stand another second without the feel of the blonde's hands on her or of her own hands on Emma, so she snapped her fingers and their clothing instantly disappeared, both now gloriously nude in the steadily darkening room.

Emma denied herself nothing. She had been so insecure before and yet now, in this moment, all she could feel was Regina's desire and Regina's love and Regina's passion; she could feel Regina everywhere, all around her, beneath her, inside her. She wanted to drown in the feeling, in the all-encompassing power of their love. She laid her body flush atop the brunette's and felt herself only grow hotter, her molten core slick and responsive, as she lit a trail of fiery kisses atop Regina's flesh, down her throat and across her chest. She took the puckered flesh of one rigid nipple greedily into the heated depths of her mouth and reveled in the sound of her beloved crying out with pleasure as she kneaded the other between her knuckles. She wanted to take her time with this yet she feared Regina might explode any minute with her want. The woman's body quivered violently beneath her, two decades of need rocking and roaring through her system like a raging tornado.

The scent of their combined arousal was a toxin in the air, eating them both alive from the inside out. They needed each other like they needed air in their lungs, and every touch and every sound echoed as much. Regina's fingers twisted fiercely in golden locks as she clutched onto her lover, her teeth biting viciously into her bottom lip as Emma's mouth now carved a soaking path down her trembling abdomen. A guttural half-scream wrenched its way from her throat as she felt a wave of hot breath shoot over her pulsating sex, and she could no longer be patient.

"Please Emma," she cried, her voice ragged and broken with her passion, with her desperate need for relief from the tension that had been building steadily out of control with the past weeks since her first encounter with the blonde and even before. She had never needed or wanted anyone as desperately, as wholly, as she did the princess. "Gods, I need you," she whimpered as Emma nipped at the inside of her thighs, driving her to the point of madness.

Emma licked along the inside of Regina's thighs and was forced to clench her own violently to alleviate the pressure there, moaning loudly as she did so. She was so overwhelmed with the intoxicating scent of Regina's arousal, with the deliciously seductive sight of her dripping sex in the rising moonlight, that she could hardly keep the breath in her lungs. Her head swam dizzily as she took it all in, as she fought to remain focused and to keep her driving confidence. Hearing Regina cry for her, though, hearing her speak of her need for her, for only her and nothing more, was enough to send Emma's heart and body soaring into oblivion.

"Gods, Emma, take me!" Regina finally screamed, her breath naught more than a ragged panting and her voice cracked and heavy. Emma instantly obeyed, her mouth latching onto the brunette's throbbing core and her tongue stroking in one heavy, pressured swipe up the length of her sex. Regina's scream was silent in its abandon as the breath slammed from her lungs and her back arched so forcefully that Emma feared it might actually break. She followed her instinct as both Regina and Red had told her she should and threw a steadying arm over her lover's hips to hold her in place as she continued to explore Regina's sex with her tongue. She paid particular attention to the tight bundle of nerves peeking from beneath hooded flesh as every time her mouth settled upon it, Regina's body nearly shot from the bed. She tested the theory and wrapped her lips tightly around it and forcefully sucked, and that was all it took.

Regina's tension exploded as Emma sucked her vigorously into her mouth and tossed her headlong into orgasm, the most glorious orgasm she could ever remember having, an orgasm she felt as if she had been on the precipice of for weeks and was finally experiencing. She was reveling in it, her entire body shuddering as her hands clutched onto golden curls, knuckles whitening and pulling the blonde closer to her core, desiring the furthered pressure as she released. Emma could feel every rippling second of ecstasy as it washed through Regina's body, trickling wondrously through their bond, and it nearly brought the blonde to orgasm as well. She did her best to fight it, though, wanting this moment for her love, for Regina only, wanting to watch and experience the beauty of what she had done for her, what she had longed feared she would be unable to do and yet had, and well. The feeling was inexplicable, filling her up in a way nothing ever had.

Regina came down from her high, her breathing heavy and stunted as she moaned with each little aftershock. She released her painful grip in Emma's hair and glanced down at the princess, whose chin now rested gently atop her lower abdomen as emerald eyes gazed at her lovingly and still hungry. The brunette reached for her, smiling brightly as Emma crawled up her body and settled her weight atop her. She kissed the blonde deeply, tasting herself on her lover's tongue, and whispered sweetly inside Emma's head as she could not find her voice in this moment.

Thank you, she said as she felt the overwhelming power of Emma's love seep into her through their bond. Tears stung in her eyes as the feeling sang in her heart, in every cell. She had never felt so thoroughly and wondrously complete in all her life. And she had only Emma to thank for that, though no words could ever express such gratitude.

Emma nuzzled her face into Regina's neck and whispered softly against her heated flesh. "You are so beautiful." She meant it. She had never witnessed anyone or anything more beautiful than Regina, the woman's beauty only magnified in her pleasure. It showered over the blonde like a deliciously soothing rain.

Regina hummed her pleasure at hearing the words and quickly gathered her strength, rolling their bodies swiftly over so that she now sat poised atop the princess. "And you, my love, are perfect," she said with a smile that lit the entire room. She could feel Emma's desire coursing through her veins, and was once again shaken down to her very soul by it. It would always be this way. They would always be so intricately and intimately woven together that every moment, every blessed experience, would be shared in the most profound and magnificent way.

Emma's desire quickly rekindled Regina's own and she found herself aching and throbbing once more. She slipped a hand beneath her body and down to the apex of Emma's thighs and could feel the heat there before she ever even touched. It was maddening and thrilling and all in-between. As she slid her fingers through Emma's slick and soaking heat, she reached for the princess's hand and brought it to her own pulsating core.

Emma was on fire, her entire body melting in the heat of Regina's gaze, in the feel of Regina's fingers slowly pushing into her, in the feel of her own fingers teasing at Regina's entrance. They trembled in unison as they simultaneously entered each other, and Emma followed Regina's lead, matching her pace and rhythm, both moaning their pleasure, both climbing, both soaring toward the precipice where they intended to leap together, over the edge and into a blissfully shared oblivion.

They rocked and rolled against one another, gazes locked and breath held tightly in their chests, and within minutes they flew to the edge. Regina quickly grabbed the back of Emma's head and pulled her up, bringing their mouths hungrily together as their bodies and their desires fed on one another through their soulful bond, ensuring their synchronicity, and with one final thrust, they rocketed over the precipice and into orgasm. They clung to each other, trembling in their shared release as they breathed into one another, mouths melded beautifully together, stilled but passionate.

As the final tremors subsided, they collapsed into one another, Emma falling back into the sweat-soaked sheets of their bed and bringing Regina down with her. They breathed heavily in the aftermath of their lovemaking, slick foreheads resting gently against each other, and as a beautiful chocolate gaze met an emerald one, both women crumbled beneath the weight of their shared joy. Laughter bubbled beautifully up from their throats and decorated the air between them. Neither had ever been more satisfied, had ever known such elation, and their bodies quaked with it. Regina planted a sweet and tender kiss to the tip of Emma's nose as she lay atop her, both laughing joyfully and neither ever wanting this moment to end.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Little Black Box

Emma leaned heavily into the balcony railing, wrapped only in a soft white sheet, as the full moon shone brightly atop her. Tonight marked the first of Wolf's Time, and she knew Red was out there somewhere, in the woods or the meadows, running to her heart's desire. Her mother was a beautiful woman in her human form, and she was a beautiful creature in her wolf form. Emma had always been in awe of her, envious of her even, of the many nights she had longed to take to the forest alongside Red and be free of her life, of the pain she had long felt in her endless search for Regina. Now, though, Emma imagined she would run with her joy rather than from her sorrow, run with the beauty and the wonder of finally knowing and having love, True Love, and of having a family in her adopted wolf mother, her Soul Mate, and her former fairy godmother. She was happy, so achingly, wondrously happy. She could run with her joy, and she hoped Red was running now with the same beautiful feeling, the same joy.

Her thoughts were a tangled jumble of experience and emotion. This always happened when the princess failed to find slumber, when she failed to fall away from the world and into dreaming. Perhaps, that is why she envied Red this night, as she stood alone beneath the moon, alone on the balcony of the royal bedchamber she shared with her beloved, alone and lost in thought, lost in memory. Her past often came calling in her loneliness, in the moments when she found herself most vulnerable, most open to remembering. This was one of those nights. It was also the eve of her seventeenth Name Day.

Emma thought of her past, of her childhood in the White Kingdom, of the love of the mother and father she once had never doubted. She thought of the way she had giggled and played with Snow, of how she happily rode the castle grounds atop her beloved and deeply missed Laertes with James at her side. They had truly been her home, the monarchs. They had been her entire universe and she had loved them greatly. She thought of her eighth Name Day, of Blue's denial of her secret wish, of the fierce love and protectiveness in her godmother's eyes when she had been given her precious wolf pendant, and finally, of Regina. It had been the first Name Day she had ever shared, even if only in part, with the fallen queen, and the coming day would be the first she could fully share with the witch without the hindrance of prison bars or sorrowful regret. She thought of her parents' betrayal, of Snow's resolute tone warring with her conflicted eyes as she turned away from Emma and forced a liquid curse down Regina's throat. She thought of the way James had held her tightly, against her will, of his hand wrapped forcibly around her mouth to keep her quiet and to keep her still. She could still feel her throat burning from her screams, the sound echoing against his hand and soaring like fire back down her throat and into her tiny lungs. She thought of the way Regina had spoken to her, had whispered inside her head that night. We will find each other again, Emma. This, I promise you, and please, dear, know that I love you.

Emma had held onto those words. She had lived on them, had used them as fuel, as sustenance to maintain her resolve. In times when she had felt most hopeless, those words would whisper again in her mind, reminding her of Regina's promise—that they would find each other again. And they had; though it took many years and much sorrow and much heartache, they had indeed found one another again, and every moment since had lived in the princess as the stars live in the night sky—ever burning, ever bright, and ever beautiful. No, Snow and James were no longer her home. They had become naught more than a memory, sometimes thrilling and sometimes beautiful, but mostly aching and mostly dark, forever marred by their betrayal. Regina was her home, now and always. Red was her home. Even Blue was her home. But not her past; her past often lived as war within her, but it's hold on her heart was long dead, buried beneath her happiness and painted static in its sound. She let it go as one releases petals to the wind, blowing sweetly away from her though she would never forget the way it felt upon her flesh and within her heart. She was a melody in the here and now, playing loudly to the beat of her joyful rhythm, a rhythm dancing in light and love, and she reveled in it. She was magnificently alive in the present, no longer trapped in the past, and supremely ready for whatever glorious future awaited her.

Gentle, slender hands slipped around her waist and warm, supple lips pressed sweetly to the exposed flesh of her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered closed as she allowed herself to lean into the embrace, to soak in the scent of apples and flora now enveloping her. Regina. She sighed deeply as the witch held her, Regina's chin resting gently atop her shoulder as they stood silent beneath the moon's glow.

Are you troubled, my love? The sultry melody of her lover's voice whispered softly inside her head, a comforting lullaby that rocked her soul.

No, Regina, worry not. I am well, Emma answered sweetly, swaying in the witch's arms to the sounds of the night.

What was it you were thinking of? The witch asked.

You. Red. Blue. My family, my home. You are my home, Regina, Emma told her, and Regina's heart filled her chest; her love soared in her veins.

As you are mine, Emma.

A long, comfortable silence followed the words as they continued to sway in the moonlight, Regina's arms wrapped tightly around her princess, and their intertwining souls singing softly to one another. It was a truly beautiful night, a perfect moment shared between two lovers.

It is my Name Day tomorrow, Emma said softly after a while, her voice barely audible in the witch's mind.

It is indeed, Regina answered, a simple smile gracing her lips as she pressed them to the blonde's slender neck.

She had long been planning now for Emma's seventeenth Name Day, the first of many she intended to fully share with her princess. She and Red had been preparing for this day for many weeks now, and had something rather special planned for the blonde, something they both knew she had long desired and had been unable ever to obtain. It had been difficult keeping their activities secret from Emma as it seemed often that wherever Regina was, there Emma was as well, but they had managed, working endlessly in the nights when the princess found restful slumber or during Emma's many outings to the rolling meadows of the castle grounds. Regina was exhausted with the work as it required much time, much effort, and much magic, but she knew it would be worth it, knew Emma would be elated with the gift, and she could hardly wait to see her beloved's face upon receiving it.

Do you have a wish in mind? Regina asked sweetly.

As you, I have not wished since my eighth Name Day, Emma answered her sadly, the day I wished for your freedom. 

That star has fallen as well, dear, Regina said, a smile decorating her voice even inside the princess's mind. Emma only nodded and hummed her agreement, reaching to pull one of the witch's hands to her mouth and planting a loving kiss atop an open palm.

I am so happy here, Regina, Emma told her, and her voice spoke only reverence and awe of the happiness she had finally found. I am so wonderfully happy with you. I never knew this kind of joy existed, and yet I have it now, with you. I have all that I could ever hope for. My heart is full and my family is well. 

The fallen queen's every cell buzzed and vibrated with her love for the blonde, with her elation at hearing such words, with knowing she had finally done something right, had finally brought true happiness to the one person whose happiness meant most in the world to her. She, too, had never known such joy could exist, and certainly never for one such as herself, one who had committed unspeakable acts and held vengeance always in her heart, and yet here she was. She was wrapped around the love of her life, her precious Soul Mate, and her heart and her soul were so full she could burst with the feeling. It was unthinkable, and yet, it had become her entire world.

So you have not even one wish, dear? Regina asked softly.

Oh, I do, the princess confessed. I do have a wish. I simply know not if I should chance making such a wish when my life already is so wonderful, when I have all that I need.

You need not feel greedy, Emma, Regina told her. You deserve such happiness and you deserve much more. Wish to your heart's desire, my love, and worry not of fairies or denied wishes. If it is within my power to grant your wish, then you shall have it, Emma. 

Truly? Emma asked her love.

Truly, dear. You must know I would pull my heart from my own chest if you desired it. I would deny you nothing, Emma. If whatever you desire will make you happy, then you shall have it. That is my wish. And she meant it. Regina would find a way to move the heavens and the earth if her princess wished it. She longed only to please her, to fill her heart as full as it could be.

There is nothing you would deny me? Nothing you would not do? The princess pressed her further. She needed to know as this wish, this wish that ran deep as rivers in her soul, was so intricately wrapped up in the fallen queen that only she, only Regina, could grant it. Only Regina could truly make a reality of the throbbing desire that made up the many vibrant colors of Emma's hope, of her heart.

Regina's brow furrowed when she heard the aching desperation in Emma's voice as it danced around inside her mind. Whatever Emma's wish, it truly must run deep, deeper than any wish she had ever made, even deeper than her wish for the freedom of the Evil Queen. It unnerved Regina, though she had meant what she said. There was truly nothing she would deny the princess, not if it was within her power to provide.

The witch pulled her hands to Emma's hips and turned the blonde to face her. She gasped softly as she now saw the many tear tracks shimmering atop the princess's face in the moonlight, though she was quickly reassured as her lover smiled brightly at her through the salted drops. She lifted a tender hand to wipe away the trails of tears, and this time, she spoke aloud.

"Emma, what is it?" Regina asked quietly, her chocolate gaze desperately searching Emma's emerald one for hints, for answers. Emma only leaned forward and pressed a loving kiss to Regina's lips, her joyful tears dusting the witch's cheeks with moisture.

"I love you," the princess whispered against Regina's lips as she rested their foreheads together. "Regina, you are my life. You are my heart. You are my soul. I need you as I need to breathe. You are the air in my lungs. To be without you is to be truly lost. A life without you was, and would be again, my greatest hell, my most trembling fear, and my deepest sorrow. Without you, I am empty, and I would choose death a thousand times over such an existence."

"Emma, you have me. You have me, love. I am going nowhere." Regina was truly conflicted. Her heart was pounding in her chest, both elated and terrified by the princess's words. Emma seemed so solemn, so cryptic, and yet so full of love. Hope and joy danced in her emerald eyes, and the witch clung to it, needing reassurance, needing explanation.

"You will stay with me? Always?" Emma asked her, their breaths mingling in the night air, their bodies melded together in a loving embrace.

"Until the very end," Regina answered in a breathless whisper, though her words held no hesitation. She was resolved, absolute in her conviction. "Emma, please," the witch pleaded with her beloved, "you worry me, love. Tell me your wish."

"I wish…" Emma said softly, her smiling only growing in the moonlight just as Regina's heartbeat grew in its pace. The princess stroked Regina's cheek and held her gaze, pressing their lips sweetly together once more before whispering her heart's desire beneath the encouraging glow of the full moon. "I wish to marry you."

Regina's vision swam dizzily, colors blending and blurring as Emma's words washed over her. She certainly had not been expecting as much, though she could deny not the way her body exploded with emotion, her heart drumming madly in her chest. She sucked in a breath, as deeply as she could until her lungs felt full to bursting, before letting it out in a staggered release and locking gazes once more with the princess. She tried to think of something to say, of the right words to say, yet when she opened her mouth, all that escaped her was a single word.

"Oh," she whispered breathlessly. Regina watched as Emma's smile only grew, and her heart sizzled and melted at the sight. Gods, she was beautiful, and so open, and so pure. Regina had only ever known marriage as the curse that had bound her unwillingly to Leopold and to Snow. She had never thought to marry again, truly. She had never even considered the possibility and even scoffed at the thought, but this…this was Emma. Everything was different with the princess. Everything was new. Everything was light and profound and so wonderfully beautiful.

Tears slipped soundlessly from the fallen queen's eyes as she let the feeling overwhelm her, wrapped now in her lover's embrace, the feeling of being truly wanted for so much more than her body or her wealth or her power. She knew, both on the surface and beneath it, that she and Emma were destined to be together, woven into one by True Love and the powerful magic of Soul Mates. She knew it, yes, and yet hearing such words on the princess's lips and the overwhelming emotion evoked by them—her entire body swam with it. She was not just touched. She was utterly riveted. Emma, her perfect, beautiful, kind, and giving Emma's one deepest desire, truest wish was simply to have her hand in marriage. Her. Regina. Despite all she had done and all that she had once become, Emma wanted her. Loved her. Wished only to be bound eternally to her. No words could truly ever describe such a feeling, but Regina was drowning in it—sweetly, decadently, willingly drowning.

Regina pulled Emma's lips to hers once more. She kissed her tenderly, slowly, conveying all that was singing and dancing within her. When their lips finally parted, Regina simply rested her forehead to Emma's and nodded against it.

Emma's entire body exploded with joy when she felt the subtle movement, a beautiful gasp echoing from her lips. Tears sprung from emerald once more as she reached for a final note of reassurance. "Yes?" she whispered into the minute space of air between their equally quivering lips.

"Yes," Regina whispered in return, and the single, quiet word drifted into the night like a moonlit lullaby rocking the world into a loving slumber.

Blue and Emma strolled through the long, swaying, rolling green of the one of the many magnificent meadows on the castle grounds. It had been a long day of celebration in honor of Emma's seventeenth Name Day. She and her tiny family had shared much this day—fantastic, delicious meals, much laughter, music, and games. It had been the best day she could remember having in many years. Red and Regina had doted on her the entire day, hardly letting her out of their sight for even a minute—both kissing and hugging on her every chance they had. She loved it, though. She felt such a part of something, something truly special, truly precious.

After a long day of family fun, though, Blue had quietly and shyly requested some time alone with her, and Emma had happily agreed. The former fairy had seemed troubled, and so, Emma suggested a stroll through the meadows, a favored pastime of hers that always seemed to soothe her. They walked together in silence a long while, the meadow awash in reds and yellows as the sun slowly began its descent into the distant horizon, before Blue finally spoke.

"Emma, I feel I have much to apologize for," she said quietly, her head bowed and her hands clasped gently in front of her as they walked. "There never seemed to be a fitting time and never any words to justify the depth of my regret or of my sorrow for all that transpired all those years ago, but I wish for you to know that I am so truly sorry for the pain and the hardship you have endured and especially for the role I played in bringing such hardship about."

Emma placed a gentle hand atop the petite woman's arm to halt her, turning the former fairy to face her as they stood still now in the swaying grasses. "Blue, please," she said, a sad smile gracing her features, "this apology means much to me, yet you must know it is not needed nor is it required. You have paid greatly for the past. I believe we all have in our own ways."

"On your eighth Name Day, when you wished for Regina's freedom, I was quite conflicted," Blue told her. "I…I struggled with my oath, terrified for your safety and for the safety of our realm. I could not understand. I could not see past all that had transpired, and while it truly was not within my authority to grant your wish that day, I fear that had it been, I still would have denied you. The guilt of such selfishness as well as of the actions that followed has never left me. I wish you to know that I do regret that day and many beyond that day. I wish you to know that were I able to change the past, to change that day, I would. I would grant your wish."

Emma's heart ached for the pain etched deeply into Blue's features. It was clear the woman had struggled with her regret and guilt for many years, and the princess only wished to free the woman of such a burden, a burden no longer necessary and long ago redeemed. She reached a hand forward and sweetly wiped away the tears marring the brunette's cheeks, and said, "I know, Blue. I know you would. You owe me nothing any longer. When you chose to stand beside us that night in the White Kingdom, when you risked your safety to aid us, to save the woman you once condemned, you redeemed yourself. Do you not see that? You saved my life that night, Blue, and you have my forgiveness and you have my gratitude. You are my family now. You are Red's family, and Regina's. You owe it to yourself to let go of this pain and this regret. Be free of it, and be happy. All is well now, Blue. Trust in that."

A sad, yet sweet sob escaped the former fairy's throat as the princess then pulled her into a tight, loving embrace. Blue exhaled, expelling all the pain within, and finally felt free of it. She felt light and joyful, blessed beyond measure to have somehow found her place living a life she had never been destined to live, to have found a family to love and to love her in return. She, Red, and Regina—they were all flawed women, damaged goods. Each had played their part in cruel acts. Each had been labeled a monster at some point or other. They were all so similar and yet so uniquely different. It was a precious balance, three redeemed women brought together by the same golden-haired princess. It was with that thought and with this moment, that Blue realized she needed not her magic nor her immortality. She needed only this, a comforting embrace, a reassuring word, and a perfectly imperfect family.

"May I see it now?" Emma asked, her entire body buzzing with excitement. Red and Regina had her seated in a chair in the dining hall, awaiting the witch's return with a special and surprise gift. Apparently, they had been working on this surprise for her Name Day for quite some time. Emma had been thoroughly surprised to learn of this, wondering when they had found the time and where exactly they had been hiding such activities from her.

"Be patient, my child," Red whispered in her ear, though the wolf was practically bouncing off the walls with her own excitement. This gift truly meant as much to her as she knew it would mean to her daughter. Red found she loved Regina more and more with each passing day and could think not of a better match for her child. What the brunette had managed to do for her, for Emma, this Name Day, was truly remarkable and made Red's heart swell with admiration and respect for the witch.

"May I see it now?" Blue asked. The former fairy was just as thrilled and anxious to learn of the surprise. She had been well aware of the secret activities of the wolf and witch for the past weeks and yet whenever she had asked, they both had remained quite tightlipped about it. Therefore, she was just as in the dark as the princess and could not wait to learn of the surprise she was sure would be a truly fantastic gift for Emma, whatever it was. Regina and Red would never disappoint her.

"You all may see it now," Regina's voice announced as the fallen queen tapped quickly into the dining hall, laughing sweetly at the sheer excitement that flooded the air, rolling in waves off the three women waiting for her. She placed the a small wooden box on the table just in front of her princess, and nodded for Emma to open it.

Emma stared down at the small box only a moment before unlatching its tiny clasp and raising the lid. Inside the box, nestled snugly in a velvet cushion was a tiny glass vial, full to the brim with a stunningly bright red liquid. All eyes in the room were wide with wonder, except Regina's, of course, who simply looked as if she might be about to cry with her joy. She knew this gift would overwhelmingly excite and thrill her lover, and she felt so honored to have been able to provide this for Emma as well as for Red.

"What is it?" Blue asked as the princess pulled the tiny vial from the box and held it to the light, its cherry-red essence shimmering and dancing within the glass.

"It is me!" Red squealed, clapping her hands as she all but bounced with her joy. She could contain it no longer and the words burst out of her excitedly.

"What?" Emma asked, sincerely confused by her mother's statement. She looked to Regina for explanation, and the brunette was laughing softly at the wolf's reaction. The witch then settled her gaze on Emma, her love swimming in her eyes as she provided further explanation and waited anxiously to see her beloved's reaction.

"It is a potion," Regina explained, "made from Red's essence."

"Her essence?" Blue asked, just as confused as Emma. Regina and Red, though, seemed to be overflowing with their joy, nerves, and excitement.

"Yes," the witch answered. "It took much of Red's blood, hair, and energy, and it required a great deal of magical trial and error, but I finally managed to replicate her essence and her power."

"This potion is very special, Emma," she continued. "Drink it this night, and you will transform beneath the full moon."

Blue's gasp echoed around the room along with Red's sniffles as tears of joy now streamed steadily down her cheeks. "You mean…?" Emma questioned her lover, her eyes already swimming with her realization, disbelief, and joy.

"Yes, my love, you will be wolf for a night," Regina answered the princess, reaching forth a hand to cup a fair cheek as the first of many tears descended upon it.

"I can…I can run with my mother?" Emma asked, the question naught more than breathless whisper. A sob escaped her throat as she took in Regina's smiling nod, and her tears spilled forcefully forth as she turned quickly to Red who stood just behind her, her own cheeks marred with tears and a beautiful smile lighting her face.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Child of the Moon

Emma, Red, Regina, and Blue all stood together within a large meadow on the castle grounds. The brilliant glow of the full moon shone beautifully upon them all as Red waited, donned in her crimson cloak to stay her transition, for her child. Emma stood just to her right with Regina, the tiny vial of Red's essence clutched tightly in her hand and her nerves buzzing with her excitement and slight anxiety of the coming experience. She was finally going to know the beauty and the wonder of what it felt like to run alongside her mother beneath the full moon; it was an experience both she and Red had dreamed of for many years now.

Emma cupped a gentle hand around her beloved's cheek before leaning in and placing a tender kiss to Regina's supple lips. "Words can never express my gratitude for this, my love," she whispered to the witch.

Regina smiled brightly, her chocolate eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "It is my pleasure, Emma. Your happiness is my own." They kissed sweetly again before Emma stepped back from her love with a final squeeze of the brunette's hand and turned to her mother. She nodded to Red to signal her readiness and watched as the tall brunette quickly pushed back the hood of her crimson cloak, her eyes instantly and beautifully changing to a glowing amber, before unclasping the cloak from around her neck and swiftly handing it to Blue.

The three women turned their heads out of respect for the brunette as she quickly stripped away her remaining clothes so as to avoid them being shredded in the process of her transformation. She stood gloriously naked beneath the moonlight and within seconds the audible crack of her spine echoed through the night and sent chills rippling across Emma's flesh. She was entirely familiar with Red's transformations, but she never was able to grow accustomed to the painful and unpleasant experience her mother endured to become the wolf she so loved to be. The princess glanced to her beloved, and Regina smiled sadly at her, knowing her thoughts. The witch squeezed Emma's hand reassuringly and whispered, "Worry not, dear. Your mother is well. This pain is but a small price for the freedom and strength of the wolf."

Emma nodded before asking, "Shall it be painful for me as well?" Regina quickly reassured her, shaking her head and squeezing the princess's hand once more. "As you are not a child of the moon by blood, your transition is one of magic and not of nature. It will not be pleasant, Emma, but it will not be as harrowing as this."

Emma took a steadying breath, comforted by Regina's words and her presence. She was nervous about the transformation, but such nerves held no comparison to the sheer joy and thrill that bubbled in her veins at the idea of becoming a wolf for a night. She would truly be Red's pup this night. She felt a nudge against the back of her leg and turned quickly to find the great brown wolf form of her mother sitting sweetly before her. Red pawed at Emma's foot, and the princess laughed her joy as she leaned forward and scratched lovingly behind the wolf's ears. Regina and Blue smiled adoringly at the show of affection as the princess whispered softly to the beast.

"This night, we shall truly be mother and child, Red," Emma told her, to which the wolf only whimpered and softly licked the palm of the princess's hand. Emma's heart pounded in her chest as she quickly stood and began to remove her clothes; this time, though, only Blue turned away. Regina simply stood watching, smiling at her beloved as the blonde quickly made herself nude beneath the moon. Emma tipped the vial and let the bright red potion trickle down her throat, and within seconds, she felt its effects.

Regina had certainly been right. The experience was unpleasant, though not unbearable. Her blood boiled in her veins as her heart clenched tightly in her chest. Every cell in her body caught fire as her flesh rippled and began to transform, hair sprouting over every inch. A wave of nausea shot through her stomach and she doubled over, dropping swiftly to her knees as her face began to elongate just as Red's had. She felt feverish in every inch as if her body was fighting a powerful infection, yet as quickly as it had come, the feeling passed. The transformation was complete and where the golden-haired princess had only just stood, now sat a magnificently solid white wolf with glowing emerald eyes.

Upon hearing Regina's gasp, Blue quickly turned to see the wolf Emma had only just become, and she, too, gasped at the sight. "Oh, Regina," Blue whispered in awe, "she is such a beautiful wolf."

Regina could only smile brightly, laughter bubbling happily in her throat. "Did you ever doubt she would be? She is stunning!"

The beautiful white wolf quickly turned to the larger chocolate wolf and nuzzled her neck with her snout before leaping up and pouncing playfully atop her mother, knocking both wolves to the ground and sending them tumbling and rolling about, both now pawing at each other lovingly. Both Blue and Regina watched the playful show, laughing happily. Regina's heart was so full of joy in this moment that she felt as if she might burst. She had done something truly magnificent, truly precious for both Emma and for Red. She had given them something they otherwise never could have known, the experience of sharing this final bond. In this moment, it truly was as if Red was Emma's mother in every way.

Red nodded her head toward the forest, her ears perked and her amber eyes glowing in the moonlight. Emma nodded her understanding before quickly turning back and padding over to her beloved. Regina instantly dropped to her knees before the great, white wolf and reached forth her hands to stroke through Emma's soft and beautiful coat. She scratched behind Emma's ears and the wolf whimpered happily before leaning in and licking the witch's cheek affectionately. Regina only laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of the wolf's head. "I love you as well," she whispered sweetly. "Be safe, my darling."

The wolf nodded its understanding before turning quickly to nuzzle its head against Blue's knee. The former fairy patted the wolf lovingly, bidding her to stay safe just as Regina had. And with that, the white wolf sprinted back to its mother's side and both massive beasts sprang away into the night, bounding toward the forest with racing hearts full of joy.

Emma had never felt anything quite as overwhelming as living in the body of a wolf. Everything was so elevated, so magnified—sounds, colors, smells—it all assaulted her senses and her nerves in the most profound and glorious way. Even with the many hours-long conversations she had had with her mother over the years about the heightened senses, the explosive strength, and the limitless energy, nothing could have ever prepared her for the actual experience of living it. There truly was nothing quite like it.

She glanced to her left to see Red's massive, chocolate-shaded wolf form sprinting alongside her, fast and furious. They raced through the trees, powerful muscles rippling through their canine bodies, as they dodged hanging limbs and leapt over fallen logs and creeks. Not even magic had ever given the princess such a rush. She followed her mother's lead, rocketing through the woods behind her and watched as the great brown wolf leapt powerfully and gracefully across the distance of a vast and rocky ravine in the middle of the forest.

There had been no hesitation. Emma, though, immediately dug her paws into the ground, grinding to a sliding halt right at the edge of the ravine. The white wolf craned its head over the edge to gaze upon the great and treacherous fall below and whimpered at the sight. The sound captured Red's attention, the mother wolf quickly turning back to the ravine to find that her child had not followed her over. She locked gazes with her pup across the distance and howled, doing her best to convey her reassurance, to encourage Emma to embrace her wolf fully and fear not. She knew her child could do this and wanted Emma to believe in herself enough to know this as well.

The shining emerald eyes of the white wolf locked with the melted chocolate gaze and held tightly, absorbing the love and strength in those wide and beautiful brown eyes, the eyes of her mother. Strength and confidence burst in her chest as she swallowed her fear, wanting only to be with her mother, wanting only to make Red proud, to be the wolf child her mother deserved; so, she turned and ran back from the ravine a few hundred feet before sliding swiftly back around to face the gap. She braced herself, the muscles in her four massive legs clenching tightly, before she took off with the preternatural speed she had seen Red adopt numerous times even in her human form. Her paws pounded the ground like an army of drums and her heart beat heavily in her chest, but she kept her pace, pushing forward toward the gap where her mother waited on the other side.

When she reached the edge of the ravine, she used the power of her hind legs to push her, springing forth from the ground in a great and graceful leap. Emerald eyes remained fixed on brown as the stretched body of the white wolf flew beautifully over the gap and landed gracefully on the other side. Red howled loudly again, pride for her pup filling her heart exponentially, before she nuzzled the white wolf affectionately and took off into the forest again, Emma right on her heels.

They ran to their heart's desire, an endless amount of energy driving them onward. Emma absorbed the sounds and scents, the bursts of colors all amplified with the keen senses and abilities provided her by Regina's wondrous magic and beautifully kind heart. This night would live in Emma always, a perfect gift, a treasured experience she would always cherish. It was magnificent.

As the night waned and the darkened sky gave way to faint strips of light, the two massive wolves, brown and white, stopped at a flowing creek for water. Emma padded to the water's edge and took in her reflection on the rippling surface. Had she been in human form, she would have gasped, but instead, her emerald eyes only widened at the sight. Blue had been right. She truly was a beautiful wolf, which only made her happier as she had always admired her mother in wolf form. Red was a gorgeous creature, and Emma was proud to be her child both in human form as well as in the body of a wolf.

They drank deeply, quenching their heavy thirsts after a night filled with running and playful wrestling. They stood now only about a half-mile from the palace, only a short run given their incredible speed, and they intended to make the most of it. Red had never felt more joyful in all her life. Regina had given her the most precious gift anyone could ever have given her—a night to run in the woods with Emma, finally united as wolf mother and pup. It meant more to her than any amount of words, smiles, tears, or laughter could ever express. She would cherish this night always, her entire life.

Red nuzzled her beautiful, white pup before nodding her massive head in the direction of the palace. Emma nuzzled her in return before following her mother's lead. They sprang into action once more, reveling in the power and the thrill of their speed as they shot toward home, side by side beneath the ever-lightening sky.

Regina stood on her balcony, leaning into the railing as she watched the sky begin to flood with the color, brilliant oranges, yellows, and reds spilling through the steadily fading blue. She had yet to slumber, unable to sleep this night as her beloved took to the forest as a wolf. Even before Red's and Emma's departure, she knew she would be unable to sleep as every cell in her body was too alive and too buzzing with a jumble of emotions. She could wait not for their return, to hear of the thrill of the run.

Chocolate eyes shot to the castle grounds as a loud howl echoed through the dawn. Regina's lips stretched in a wide smile, watching from her balcony as a massive and beautiful brown wolf shot from the trees of the surrounding forest and into the clearing with a smaller, yet equally beautiful white wolf in its wake, trailing only about a fifty feet behind. The witch was overjoyed to see the beasts as it meant her family had made it safely home, but just as she started to turn from the balcony to go and greet the two, Red's wolf form caught her eye below.

Regina watched, breath hitching in her throat and a chilling shiver shooting down her spine, as the massive brown wolf slid to a grinding halt, ears perking pointedly and head snapping toward the forest once more. Emma's wolf form was sprinting forward to close the remaining distance between herself and her mother, unaware of whatever Red's keen and experienced senses had picked up on. Regina felt as if she were watching the scene play out in slow motion, unable to tear her eyes away as a bone-chilling howl wrenched through the dawn followed by her own guttural and sobbing scream as a gleaming silver arrow shot from the surrounding trees, ripping through the air and planting itself in the white wolf's side with such force that it tossed the great wolf heavily to the ground where it landed no longer a wolf, but a fully human, fully nude, and blood-covered Emma.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter Forty: Crimson and Silver

Regina's blood was as fire in her veins, her heart pounding so forcefully in her chest that it threatened the very confines of her ribcage, pushing at the bones as if desperate to escape and fall to the castle grounds where her beloved lie exposed and bleeding. She wasted no time with her scattered thoughts or her frenzied emotions as she swirled on the spot, disappearing in a cloud of swirling purple smoke only to reappear seconds later on the castle grounds just next to Emma's frighteningly pale and still body. She dropped heavily to her knees, tears ripping from her chocolate eyes and blurring her sight as she tried desperately to hold herself together, to maintain a level head as her entire world splintered and threatened to tear savagely apart.

Regina's hands shot forward to wrench the arrow from Emma's side but she was quickly distracted. The witch's head snapped swiftly up and to the left as she heard Red's whimpers and howls as well as the wolf's energized panting suddenly choke and gurgle in the beast's throat as the brunette woman was forced to change form beneath the now bright and shining morning sun. Red stumbled and fell as the waves of transformation racked her body painfully before she finally was fully human once more. She shot to her feet, uncaring of her nudity, and made to sprint the remaining distance separating her from her wounded child and Regina, tears already streaming down her cheeks and a fiery lump burning in her throat.

Even in her human form, Red heard the faint whistling of the cutting air long before she saw the second silver arrow rip from the surrounding trees and rocket toward her body within seconds of rising from the ground. She dove out of the way of the arrow just as it whizzed past her left shoulder and she could practically feel the heat on her flesh where the silver had nearly pierced her. She rolled gracefully atop the ground, swiftly rising to her feet once more only to watch, wide-eyed and terrified, as the silver arrow, having only just shot past her, arced upwards and widely to the right, turning unnaturally in its path to hurtle toward her once more. She heard Regina's voice scream her name as she closed her eyes and braced herself for the piercing pain of the arrow, but it never came.

The overwhelming and comforting scent of apples and flora flooded her senses and she quickly opened her eyes to see the point of the silver arrow mere inches from her face, halted in mid-air by Regina's hand which was now wrapped firmly around the shaft of the arrow, the swirl of purple smoke from the witch's swift teleportation still swirling around her. The arrow then quickly crumbled to dust in the witch's hand, falling to the ground in a pile of ash. She and Regina shared a terrified look before the witch implored her to run.

"Go, Red, you must leave now!" Regina nearly shouted in the wolf's face, Red already shaking her head in denial. "You must, Red. The arrows are enchanted to track their target and they are dipped in silver. You could be fatally wounded. Get to Emma, Red. Get her to the palace and stay inside. GO!" The witch screamed the last word in a blatant and authoritative demand as she turned, fists already ablaze with burning balls of fire, and sprinted toward the edge of the forest where the second arrow had emerged.

Red hesitated only a moment, terrified for Regina's safety, though she trusted in the witch's power. She turned quickly to heed the fallen queen's command and raced toward her daughter, who lay unmoving upon the ground, her body nestled in a growing pool of crimson. Just as she reached Emma, though, a cloud of black smoke filled the air before her and a cloaked figure appeared, hovering over the princess's wounded body. Red shouted at the figure, growling deep in her throat, as she leapt through the air with surprising strength in her human form and crashed heavily into the cloaked person. The hooded figure was ready for her though, throwing forward a fist just as the brunette woman leapt forward. A sickening squelching sound rung in the air as the cloaked figure pushed Red forcefully to the side, the brunette rolling limply onto the ground, her mid-section impaled upon a short sword that the figure had produced from thin air.

The pain was exquisite in its intensity, shooting through her abdomen and setting fire to her cells. Red gasped for air as she turned her head just in time to see the hooded figure clutch onto her daughter's bleeding body. She tried to move but it was as if her entire body was paralyzed in her pain and she glanced quickly down only to gasp again as the shimmering metal of the short sword in her stomach began to melt into her, pure liquid silver seeping into her open wound, sapping her strength and senses and killing her quickly from the inside out. She screamed as loudly as her voice would allow her, Regina's name tearing from her lips in a last effort to save her child.

Regina had only just reached the forest's edge as she heard her name wrenched from Red's throat in a bone-chilling scream. She spun on the spot to see a cloaked figure clutching onto her beloved before the person disappeared in a cloud of black smoke with the princess in tow. Regina's breath slammed forcefully from her lungs as her heart clenched so desperately she nearly blacked out. Emma had been taken. She was dying. She needed healing, and now Regina had no idea where she had been taken or by whom she had been taken. Oh gods, please. She clutched her chest, clawing at the pain she felt there, at the panic that rocked her so violently she feared her entire body might shred to pieces any minute, and then her eyes focused finally on the fallen form of Red. Her stomach lurched and she nearly vomited as reality slammed into her again. She sucked in a heavy breath, though, and swirled on the spot.

The fallen queen appeared almost instantly at Red's side, dropping to her knees once more, the blood-soaked ground quickly coating her legs. She surveyed the damage. It was severe, so severe she could not even breathe. The hilt of the short sword fell to the ground as the enchanted and purely silver blade finally melted in its entirety and seeped quickly into the gaping wound in Red's stomach.

"Sil—silv…er," choked out the wolf, blood spurting from her lips and dribbling down her chin as she clutched onto Regina's hand fiercely, terrified and not wanting to die alone. Regina's sobs racked her body as she tried to stay in the moment, tried to clear her head and think of what to do. She held tightly to Red's hand wanting to reassure her though she feared the worst.

"I know," she sobbed. "It will be alright, Red. You will be alright." Her denial screamed in her head and in her heart as she fought to believe her own words. She threw her free hand over the wolf's gnarled wound weeping crimson and silver and called forth her magic to siphon the liquefied silver from Red's veins. The toxin had spread too far, though. She could not pull it back, try as she might and she could sense Red's heartbeat slowing dangerously. She cursed her magic but did her best to remain calm, stroking a hand through Red's bloodied hair as the woman lay dying upon the ground in her arms. She transported them quickly into the dining hall of the palace, her voice already screaming fiercely, echoing through the stone walls of her grand castle.

"BLUE!" she screamed as loudly as her voice would allow. Thankfully, the former fairy had only just been down in the kitchens preparing breakfast; thus, she heard Regina's desperate cry loud and clear. The petite brunette shot up the stone stairs without hesitation, heart pounding in her chest as she had never heard Regina sound so terrified in all her years of knowing the witch, and though her brain was already flitting through the worst possibilities imaginable, none of those thoughts or images could have prepared her for what she found when she rocketed through the doors of the dining hall.

Blood. Gods, there was so much blood. Regina sat in a crumpled heap, nearly every inch of the brunette's flesh and night gown coated in crimson as she held onto the limp and seemingly lifeless body of a naked, trembling, and bloodied Red. A strangled, gasping scream tore from Blue's throat as she raced across the room, dropping to Regina's side and quickly surveying the damage through her already hot and streaming tears.

"What happened?!" the former fairy shouted, though her voice cracked and splintered beneath the weight of her shock and fear. "Regina, what happened?!"

"Silver!" Regina sobbed. "She has been stabbed with an enchanted sword, liquid silver!" Red had begun to shake violently in Regina's arms, her veins, dark and grey, all visible beneath her flesh as the liquid silver, a deadly toxin to her kind, soared through her bloodstream.

"Oh gods, c-can you siphon it out?" Blue asked Regina through desperate sobs.

Regina shook her head furiously, salted drops flying from her eyes and cheeks. "I tried. It has spread too far. She needs a tonic, Blue. She needs it now!"

"A silver tonic requires days to brew," the former fairy answered her, her voice a broken whisper as she spoke a fact the witch was already achingly aware of. "Oh gods, Regina, she—is she going to—" They shared a knowing look through tear-filled eyes as both now clutched onto Red's quaking hands, coated in her blood.

"Sn…Sn…" Red gurgled, trying to speak as the life in her ebbed dangerously away.

"What? What is it, Red?" Blue implored the wolf to speak again, clutching her arm fiercely, but Red's eyes fluttered quickly, drooping closed as her lips paled and stilled in their movement.

"No, no, no, no," Regina pleaded, pulling the wolf further into her arms. She slapped Red's cheeks, screaming for the woman to wake. "Stay with me, Red. Come on, sweetheart, open your eyes." Red's eyes fluttered once more, her body desperately trying to crawl back toward Regina's voice, toward life. Regina's heart exploded in her chest as her next words ripped through her lips in a roaring command. "RED! You do not DARE die! Emma needs you, Red. She needs you! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

"Emma!" Blue gasped in response to Regina's screams, panic rising further in her chest as she took note of the princess's absence. "Regina, where is…"

"She was shot with an arrow. She has been taken," Regina answered in a sobbing growl, cutting off the petite woman's question before she ever even finished it. Tears spilled forth from both women's eyes as their daunting reality rocked and rolled within them, but neither spoke further of the matter, focusing instead on the dying woman in the fallen queen's arms.

The mention of her child's name sparked a tiny flame of life in the wolf and Red forced her blood-shot chocolate eyes open at last and locked them with the witch's, Regina encouraging her every step of the way. Red clung to life with every ounce of her remaining strength, reaching for her voice once more. "Sn…Snow," she finally managed to spit out, the word barely more than a muffled gurgle in her throat but both the fallen queen and the former fairy heard it. Their heads snapped up as they locked gazes.

"Snow!" Blue gasped, her memory flooding swiftly back to her as the reasoning behind Red's cry for the White Queen slammed forcefully into her. "She keeps a store of silver tonic in the castle vault!"

"Get me a mirror!" Regina commanded just as Red's eyes fluttered closed once more, her fierce hold on the witch's hand going suddenly slack.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One: Aid of the White Queen

"Get me a mirror!" 

Blue shot to her feet at Regina's command and sprinted madly toward the exterior corridor just outside the dining hall. Once there, she wrenched the nearest mirror she knew she could carry, about the size of her head, from the wall and dashed back to the fallen queen's side. The enchantment Regina had long ago placed on her castle mirrors had been dispelled shortly after her capture when the White Queen had ordered them all smashed and shattered. Even with Emma's restorative magic, the enchantment remained broken and these were naught more than typical mirrors; thus, Regina waved a hand over the reflective glass and muttered the enchantment quickly under her breath.

Instantly, the pane of the mirror rippled and glowed a bright blue and the familiar face of the genie appeared, eyes wide with shock. "My Queen, you have returned to the palace!" Regina, tear-tracked and bloodied, completely ignored the genie's remark and bellowed into the mirror.

"Show me Snow White!" The mirror instantly rippled once more before calming and collecting to reveal the image of the White Queen's royal bedchamber, and Regina could just make out Snow on the opposite end of the room from whatever mirrored surface she was now peering through, the raven-haired woman's back turned to the glass as she had only just woken and stood from her bed, clad in a long, pale night gown. "Let us be heard!" Regina commanded the mirror again, her panic so heavy in her chest that she could hardly breathe and had to grind and growl out every word. As soon as the mirror glowed a brilliant blue in response to her command, Regina shouted through the reflective surface. "SNOW!"

The White Queen visibly jumped and screamed aloud with her shock as an all-too-familiar voice shouted through the open air of her bedchamber and she spun on the spot to see her former stepmother's face in the small hand-mirror propped atop her grand dresser. Snow flew to the dresser and quickly grabbed the mirror.

"Regina?" she asked curiously, but then she took in the state of the fallen queen. Regina's hair was disheveled, her face marred with tear tracks, and her chocolate eyes wide with terror. "Oh gods! Emma?!" she asked, her vision swimming dizzily before her eyes as Regina's frightened state sent ripples of sickening possibilities through the reigning queen's mind, all involving her daughter.

"Snow?" James' voice echoed groggily in the background as the King was stirred from slumber by the commotion. "Snow, has something happened?" Only seconds later, James' face swam into view just over the raven-haired woman's shoulder. His features quickly contorted, first with disdain and then with fear as he, too, took in the dark queen's state.

"Red has been injured with silver," Regina told them as quickly as she could force the words through her lips, the sentence a speedy jumble of panic. "She needs a tonic, Snow, now!"

"Oh gods, James, go, GO!" Snow shouted to her husband, but the King only narrowed his eyes. "How do we know this is naught but another trick?" he questioned, though his voice quaked nervously. Both the reigning queen and the fallen queen growled angrily at the response before Snow quickly shoved him out of the way, knocking the breath from the man with the force of her panic. She shot past him, wrenching open the doors of their chambers, and sprinting madly down the corridor with the mirror still clutched tightly in her hand.

Regina watched, her heart racing, as the corridor of the White Castle sped by in a blur, flashes of Snow's night gown darting into view with the swinging of the running woman's arms. "She has but minutes, Snow, please. Hurry!" Regina urged the woman to move faster though she could hear the reigning queen's panting as she flew through the castle before grinding to a sudden halt before a massive portrait of her father, King Leopold. Regina could see the colored edges of the portrait and knew the raven-haired woman had made it.

Blue held Red's head in her lap, her hands furiously tapping the wolf's cheeks as she urged her to hold on. "Just a minute more, Red. Stay with us. Just a minute more," she told the dying woman over and over, the words as a mantra on her trembling lips, though Red offered no response. Her body had gone entirely limp, though the very faint flutter of her still-rising chest reassured the former fairy that she was, indeed, still alive.

Snow sprinted through the hidden corridor behind her father's portrait and into the castle vault where she crossed immediately to a large, glass cabinet that held a hoard of precious trinkets. She threw open the glass doors and reached instantly for a black box on the third shelf. She opened the box to reveal a small collection of glass vials, each filled with a shimmering golden liquid. Snow had kept a small store of silver tonic for many years. As her dearest friend had been a werewolf, it seemed appropriate to always be prepared in the event that Red might require the aid of the tonic. She thanked the gods now that she had kept the vials even after her falling out with the wolf.

Regina could hear the clinking of glass though all she could see was Snow's pale night gown. She waited with bated breath, anxious and terrified with the thought of pinning all of her hopes and prayers once again on Snow White. This time, though, the raven-haired woman did not fail her, and Regina cried and exclaimed her joy as the reigning queen's wide emerald eyes, so like Emma's, swam in the mirror once more, her lips speaking her success.

"I have it, Regina!" Snow exclaimed, holding one of the tiny vials before the mirror as visible proof.

"Quickly, pass it through!" Regina commanded and Snow hesitated not in obeying. A pale fist suddenly shot through the mirror, the vial clutched tightly in its grasp. Regina grabbed Snow's hand, peeling open her fingers to take the vial before passing the mirror quickly to Blue just as the pale hand retreated back through the glass.

Blue took the mirror and settled it in her lap as Regina pulled Red into her arms once more, pulling the cork of the vial out with her teeth and spitting it to the floor. She then wrenched open the wolf's mouth and pushed the tip of the vial through her parted lips, spilling the golden liquid down Red's throat and praying it would work quickly enough for her to begin healing the woman's still-open wound.

With the mirror now settled in the former fairy's lap, Snow White could finally see the extent of the cause of Regina's panic. She gasped loudly, tears springing instantly from her emerald eyes and a hand rising to cover her mouth, as she took in Regina's crimson-soaked night gown, her hands stained red and trembling as she clutched onto the naked and lifeless form of Red, forcing the tonic past her pale and cracked lips. Red was dangerously pale and ominously still, her abdomen gashed and torn open by a wound Snow knew not how she had acquired, and her exposed body coated in blood and liquid silver.

Red suddenly choked and spluttered as the tonic soared down her throat. Blue cried out with joy at hearing the wolf's reaction, a sure sign that the brunette was indeed still alive. Regina's tears only came faster as relief soared, too, through her system. She rocked and soothed the wolf, encouraging her to relax and swallow and let the tonic work. Red fought to do as she was told, swallowing the tonic painfully, images of her life and of Emma swirling through her mind as she teetered on the precipice of death, fighting to stay grounded, fighting to stay alive, fighting to see her child again.

Regina quickly hovered a hand over Red's wound and called forth her magic once more, only this time, it worked. A joyful sob escaped her as she felt the liquid silver, breaking down with the effects of the tonic, ebb slowly from Red's veins and flow toward her own hand, now glowing a bright and brilliant purple. Aided by the tonic, Regina began to successfully siphon the silver from Red's veins through her open wound, and Blue and Snow watched in awe as the liquefied metal trickled up from the bloodied hole, drop after drop collecting to form a swirling silver ball just beneath the witch's open palm.

Once Regina sensed that the last traces of silver had left Red's body, she used her magic to freeze and harden the swirling liquid, her hand then quickly wrapping around the solid, silver ball and tossing it away from them. It clunked heavily atop the marble floor of the dining hall before rolling away and into a far corner. The fallen queen then swiftly replaced her hand over Red's wound and began healing her, sighing heavily as the flesh heeded her command, the snagged and torn strips tying and weaving together until Red's abdomen was but a smooth, flawless surface once more, marred only by the blood that still remained. Regina then moved her hand to the wolf's chest, placing her palm over the space just above Red's heart and pushing forth as much energy into the brunette as she could manage without greatly weakening herself.

Beautiful brown eyes fluttered slowly open as Red was pulled thankfully back to the land of the living. An echoing gasp sounded from her lips now flooded with color once more and she locked eyes with Regina as she lay heavily in the witch's arms. Three echoing gasps mimicked her own as Regina, Blue, and Snow all cried loudly with their relief and joy upon seeing Red finally awake and responsive again.

The former fairy pushed the mirror from her lap and onto the floor as both she and Regina quickly wrapped themselves, full-bodied, around the wolf, clutching onto her tightly as they continued to cry with their relief. Red could only smile into the embrace and clutch her family just as fiercely in return. Regina, however, gasped loudly and quickly pulled from the embrace, her gaze latching onto Red's as realization washed heavily over them both anew.

"Emma!" they shouted in unison, both jumping to their feet, though Red instantly regretted the action, her head spinning madly with the lingering effects of her weakness and near-death. Blue, though, was quickly behind her, a hand on the woman's lower back to steady her. Red glanced down at her nudity and back to Regina who read her expression well and flicked a wrist to grant the woman decency, her body instantly cleansed of her blood and now clad in a simple dress.

"Has something happened to Emma?" All three heads in the dining hall snapped around as the trembling voice of the reigning queen echoed through the room. In their joy and relief, both Blue and Regina had completely forgotten about Snow, the raven-haired woman's emerald eyes still burning brightly from the reflective pane of the enchanted mirror. Regina hesitated only a moment before answering the woman.

"She has been taken," the witch told her former nemesis, her own voice now trembling as her fear for her beloved returned full force to gnaw at her insides. Snow's eyes widened further, before her features quickly grew cold and solemn.

"I am coming," she announced so authoritatively that none in the dining hall, not even Regina, questioned her. All three women simply nodded their understanding and with that, the surface of the mirror rippled a final time and the White Queen disappeared from sight.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter Forty-Two: Long Live the Evil Queen

Regina marched swiftly through the palace with Blue and Red on her heels. She burst furiously through the grand doors of her royal bedchamber and straight to her massive walk-in closet. Her blood was boiling in her veins, her fear and anger growing with every passing second as she swiped furiously at the tears tracing her rigid cheeks and clenched jaw. Her mind was a frazzled frenzy of flickering thought—morbid fears, lists of possible culprits, the whereabouts of her princess—and Regina was going mad with it all. Purple, electric sparks danced visibly on her palms and fingertips as she moved, though Red and Blue said nothing of this. They simply let the witch stew in her anger which had grown quickly into something hot and tangible, burning thickly in the air around them. In this moment, even clad in only a blood-soaked night gown with tears rolling down her cheeks, Regina appeared every bit the Evil Queen she once had been.

"Regina?" Red and Blue whirled around at the sound of the voice, the witch poking her head from the open door of the closet at the sound as well. Snow White stood fully visible in a massive floor-to-ceiling mirror across the room of Regina's chambers, her reflection multiplied endlessly behind her as she stood in a room full of mirrors. She had shed her long, pale night gown in favor of tan leather pants, brown leather boots, a richly white tunic strapped with a leather belt adorned with several small daggers and pouches with unknown contents, and a tan riding cloak. Her bow and quiver were strapped over her shoulder and her jaw was set, eyes burning with purpose.

Red's heart softened at the sight—this was the Snow White she remembered best, the one who had protected and supported her even when others condemned her as a monster. Regina, though, was conflicted by the sight. This was certainly the Snow White who had managed to evade her wicked advances so many times, but the fallen queen was so stricken with how much this version of Snow reminded her now of Emma that her breath caught roughly in her throat and she had to force back another wave of tears. Emma. She could not lose her princess. She would not survive it.

"May I?" Snow asked, though the tone of her voice argued that she would find a way whether or not she was welcome. Regina simply flicked a wrist in response. The massive surface of the mirror rippled and a moment later, the reigning queen was stepping through the glass and into the witch's bedchamber, solidly present and in the flesh.

Snow White's emerald eyes instantly locked onto Red's chocolate ones. They stared silently at one another a long moment before Red took a timid step forward and then another and within seconds, she was sharing the same air as the reigning queen. The tall brunette leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to Snow's forehead, a show of gratitude for the woman's precious aid, for the tonic that had only just saved her life. Just as she was about to pull away, though, the White Queen thrust her arms forward and clutched onto Red, pulling the wolf who had once been her dearest friend into a crushing embrace.

"I am glad you are well," Snow whispered through Red's long, brown locks. "You are still my family, Red, even if I am no longer yours."

"Thank you, Snow," Red whispered in return, embracing the reigning queen fiercely. She truly was more grateful than words could express. She had nearly died and would have were it not for Snow's aid. She would pretend not that it solved all that warred between them or fully remedied the past, but Red had never been one to overlook kindnesses, especially when she could see glimpses of the Snow White she once had known and loved so well now peeking, and perhaps breaking, through the warped and hardened surface of the White Queen. "Thank you for everything."

Regina stepped quickly from the closet, her arms filled with the billowing skirts of a dark and magnificent gown. She locked eyes with the White Queen over Red's shoulder and nodded curtly. Far too much history existed between the two women for them to embrace and be merry even if Regina truly was grateful for Snow's aid in saving the wolf's life, so they lived on simple gestures in the moment, though such gestures meant more than met the eye. It was a shared nod of understanding and of acceptance this day, more than either had given the other in longer than any could remember.

Red, Blue, and Snow moved to the witch's side just as Regina dropped the gown atop her bed. She flicked a wrist to cleanse her body of the blood stains and tear tracks still marring her face and figure before snapping her fingers and her now-clean night dress was instantly replaced with the elegance of the purple-and-black royal gown. Her hair was magically pulled into a dramatic and fanciful up-do and her bare face was perfectly painted with dark, matching purple-and-black shadow above her eyes and a rich red coloring her lips.

"Well?" She asked once the transformation was complete, looking to the three other women in the room.

"You look stunning," Red answered, "but what good will this do?" Snow White shocked them all by answering the wolf's question before the witch ever even opened her mouth.

"You would be surprised what difference an image makes," the White Queen told her, and Regina nodded in agreement. "It is clear whomever has taken Emma has marked either Regina or myself as their true intended target, as such foolish advances are typically only made when one seeks power, and seeing as how the princess and I have clearly been apart many years, it would be wise to assume that Regina is the intended target. As such, it is only fitting that Regina appear as she once would have—a perfect picture of power."

"Agreed," Regina said solemnly. "Image is often everything. It can be both intimidating as well as seductive, both powerful tools in bending others to one's will. Whoever it was that took Emma would only have done so if aware of my love for her." She scoffed, her features contorting with anger and disgust as she continued dryly. "Clearly two decades of my absence has harmed my legacy; otherwise, one would not be so foolish as to challenge me so."

"Unless…" Blue interjected, capturing the other women's attentions. "Unless the one responsible is rather powerful in his or her own right."

"Yes," Regina agreed, "I fear you may well be right, Blue. The enchantment placed upon the sword that wounded Red was a rather old and powerful one, and uniquely well-suited to the circumstances. The attack was obviously well-planned."

"So, the attack was magical?" Snow asked, curious as other than Blue, she was the only one present who knew not what had transpired on the castle grounds earlier this day.

"It was," Red answered. "Emma was pierced while in wolf form by an enchanted arrow. A second arrow then followed for me, though Regina was able to stop it just in time."

"Wolf form?" Snow asked, her eyes growing wide as she took in Red's words and the implications of them. "Emma was in wolf form?"

"Yes, Snow," Red answered, "and it is not what you may think, but it is far more than we have time to explain just now."

"Of—of course, of course," Snow answered, still horribly confused by the hoard of information she was now attempting to digest.

"Magical weaponry is the least of our worries," Regina suddenly interjected. "The castle grounds are protected by a powerful enchantment that spans nearly thirty miles in each direction. I recast the enchantment the day Emma restored the palace and we made the decision to live here. As far as I am aware, few yet truly know of my return though there may, indeed, be rumors; however, the enchantment I cast not only provides protection but works as a glamour upon the palace. To those who know not how to detect such magic, the castle would appear as it had when Emma and I first arrived—abandoned and in shambles. So, whoever planned the attack would have required much magic to not only detect my enchantment but also to bypass it and enter the grounds without alerting me to their presence."

"And would have known of our presence here long before entering; otherwise, they would not have come looking," added Blue.

"Precisely," Regina agreed.

"Have you any idea who may be responsible for this, Regina?" Snow asked.

"I have not a clue as to who the cloaked figure that took Emma might be," the witch answered solemnly. "However, I do have an idea of who might be able to tell us."

"You do?" Red, Blue, and Snow asked in unison, all surprised by Regina's apparent insight into the situation.

"I do," the fallen queen repeated, and though a wicked smirk graced her lips, magic sparked angrily on her fingertips as she spoke. "I know of only one hunter with bow and arrow enchanted to track his prey. Ring any bells, Snow?"

The White Queen gasped as the puzzle pieces suddenly slammed forcefully together and she nodded, her own features growing cold and angry. "Robin Hood," she growled.

"Indeed," Regina said, nodding at the name. She thought of the man's role in this twisted scheme and her anger rocked and rolled within her, her eyes suddenly flashing a brilliant purple, making the other women in the room gasp.

"Regina…" Red said cautiously, inching toward the woman as she spoke softly to her, hoping to calm her down, but to no avail. Red's own anger was roaring inside her at the thought of her child wounded and held captive somewhere, but Regina's anger was a caged beast aching to be set loose. It only magnified as her thoughts grew inside her mind like a burning, wicked crescendo and her twisted tangle of emotions rolled nauseously in her gut and pricked at her very flesh. How dare anyone challenge her in such a way, let alone a common hunter?

"Regina, you are not going to kill him, are you?" Blue asked, suddenly anxious as she took in the witch's growing state of rage, the room trembling in the wake of it as magic crackled between Regina's fingertips.

"Oh no, Blue," the witch answered, her voice dangerously low as her entire body began to glow with her magic, "death is far too merciful a fate."

It was Snow White who then spoke, shocking all in the room with her entirely unexpected response. "I agree."

"What?" Blue gasped as no one had expected Snow White of all present to agree to the death of any, no matter their crimes. She had even spared Regina's life when the entire realm had called for the witch's head.

"Robin Hood is a thief and a poacher. He cares for none but himself and has killed many in his endless quest for power and riches," Snow explained solemnly, "and he now has aided in the abduction of a royal. It is treason."

"But surely you need not resort to such measures," Blue tried again. "Perhaps you could reason with him?"

"REASON with him?!" Regina shouted, her entire bedchamber now quaking with her fury, only further fueled by Snow's words which all but gave her permission to rip the man limb from limb once she found him. "I am the gods-damned EVIL QUEEN!" she roared, completely enraged by the audacity of the man to challenge her in such a way. "He attacked my betrothed, and you wish for me to reason with him?!"

"Regina," Red started again, hoping she could break through to the witch and calm her so as to avoid the entire castle crumbling, but she was caught suddenly off guard as the words Regina had only just spoken sank in, "…wait, what? Your betrothed?"

Both Blue and Snow gasped as they had only just realized what the witch had said as well. Blue clapped a hand to her mouth, though her eyes shone happily and shimmered with tears. Snow simply stared, utterly floored, at the fallen queen.

Regina's eyes almost instantly faded back to their natural shade of melted chocolate as she softened with the realization that she had unconsciously referred to Emma as her betrothed for the first time since she had agreed to marry the princess on their balcony only two moons ago. The purple glow around her body flickered then faded and the room stopped its ominous quaking as a small, sad smile graced the witch's lips and she locked gazes with the wolf. "We have much to discuss," she said softly.

"We do," Red agreed, though a beautiful smile stretched her lips and her eyes swam with her own tears. Now was hardly the time for celebration, though, and both women knew as much. They shared a look of promise though, a promise that once the princess was safely returned as they vowed she would be, a grand celebration would indeed be in order.

The wolf cleared her throat roughly before nodding to Regina and asking, "Shall we go now then?"

"No," Regina answered her, "you will stay in the palace, Red. You require rest. I healed your wound, but you lost much blood. You need slumber and time to regain your full strength."

"But I—" Red began to protest, though she knew Regina was right. She indeed required rest. Truthfully, Regina did as well as she had not slept the previous moon while the princess ran with Red, but she, at least, had not been fatally wounded. She could manage a day without slumber, but Red needed time to convalesce, time for her cells to regenerate.

"No," Regina said again, cutting her off. "You will stay in the palace and that is final. Blue shall stay with you." The former fairy simply nodded her acceptance while the wolf grumbled her own.

Regina then turned to the White Queen and begrudgingly invited the woman along on her mission. "Snow and I shall go together, yes?" Snow only nodded her agreement. Both she and Regina had dealt with the hunter before, so neither would be ill-prepared for his trickery or for his cunning. Besides, Snow was not without her own skills. She was nearly as adept with a bow as Robin Hood himself and whether they cared to admit it or not, she and Regina knew each other well enough to anticipate the other's moves. They would make a formidable team.

Snow stepped to Regina's side and slid her hand into the witch's, lacing their fingers. It was an image both Blue and Red committed to memory as it certainly was one that neither woman ever expected to see, an image that no one had seen perhaps since Snow White was a child. The Dark Queen and the White Queen united at last.

"Well then," Regina said, a wicked smirk spreading her lips, "let us see how the poacher enjoys being poached." And with that, both she and Snow disappeared in a swirling cloud of purple smoke, leaving both Blue and Red slack-jawed and speechless in their wake.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-Three: Dabbling in the Dark Side

"Are you certain he is here?" Snow whispered as she and Regina appeared beside the massive, moss-covered trunk of a great oak in the midst of the dark forest surrounding the northern region of the fallen queen's castle grounds. Even at midday, the area was greatly shadowed by the forest canopy and eerily silent. Regina surveyed the visible portions of the surrounding area, her eyes narrowed and her ears alert.

"I am," she told the reigning queen. "I have tracked the enchantment of his bow."

"How?" Snow asked, surprised by the information.

"Simple," the witch responded as if the answer was quite obvious. "I am the one who created the enchantment, thus it bears my magical signature. It is rather easy to track my own magic, dear."

"You created the enchantment?" Snow asked incredulously, eyes snapping to the fallen queen.

"Indeed," Regina answered, "though I certainly provided it not to the likes of Robin Hood. I created the enchantment as a potion in exchange for information many years ago. He must have purchased the potion from its original owner."

"Or stole it," Snow scoffed, to which Regina only nodded. The two women fell silent then as Regina closed her eyes and called forth her magic again to aid her in sensing the exact location of the enchanted bow. She was interrupted, though, by Snow's tentative whisper.

"Regina, what if Emma is…"

"No," Regina cut the raven-haired woman off. "She lives."

"How can you be certain?"

"Our souls are bound as one," the witch told her. "I can sense her, feel her through our bond. We share sensation, both physical and emotional. When she was wounded, I felt it, and I feel it now. I feel her pain, yet I also feel her heart beating. She lives."

Snow did her best to swallow the painful lump in her throat and nodded, reassured by Regina's words, though she could help not the way her heart continued to pound in her chest with morbid possibilities. "Can you…speak with her?" Snow questioned, the memory of all that the fallen queen had long ago told her of the magic of Soul Mates now flooding back to her. "As you could when she was a child?"

Regina frowned and shook her head. "I have tried but I continue to receive no answer. I fear she may still be unconscious or has been placed within a magical sleep."

"The Sleeping Curse?" Snow asked with a quiet gasp.

"No, no," Regina reassured quickly, though she could help not the look of disdain she shot the reigning queen as the memory of being forced to ingest her own curse flashed in her mind, "a simple slumber only, perhaps to keep her subdued or to slow the progression of her wound."

"How severe was it, her wound?"

"It was indeed severe, though it should not have been fatal," the witch told her. "However, it is the blood loss that could prove most damning if whoever has taken her does not heal the wound or halt the blood flow." Regina gritted her teeth as she spoke these words, her fury rising within her once more, and with that she threw up a hand, open-palmed, to suggest silence as she went back to her task of sensing the magical bow's location.

Snow White, seeing Regina's motion for silence, quickly clamped her mouth closed and took to scanning the area instead. She stepped around the massive tree by which they still stood, her hood up per Regina's suggestion to keep her face hidden from view in the event that a reveal could play to their advantage. Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood and a shiver shot down her spine. She would recognize the feeling anywhere, the feeling of being watched. She quickly slid back around the trunk and as close to Regina as possible so that her whisper would be a barely audible flutter of voice, heard only by the fallen queen.

"Regina," she breathed, "we are being watched." Regina only nodded as her magic had just then zeroed in on the exact location of the bow, which turned out to be very, very close. A truly wicked smile stretched the witch's lips as she suddenly shot a hand into the air and a cry of surprise instantly ripped through the woods from above. Both women turned their gazes upward to see the shadowed figure of a man suspended in mid-air high above their heads, held in place by tree branches magically wrapped around his every limb.

Snow positioned an arrow in her bow and aimed it perfectly at the dangling man as Regina called out playfully to him, falling easily into her old persona as the Evil Queen. "Now really, dear," she called in a sickeningly sweet voice, "surely you find it quite difficult to hunt in such a tangle of…limbs?" She chuckled dryly as she commanded the enchanted limbs to lower the man to the ground, though he remained bound by the massive branches even after his feet met the forest floor.

"Tell me, Robin, where is your lovely band of moronic men this day?" Regina asked the hunter. Robin Hood's face contorted with disgust and rage as the Dark Queen insulted him and kept him bound magically in place.

"Merry men!" he growled out in response.

"Is that not what I said?" the witch asked innocently with a teasing frown. Robin only growled his frustration at her once more before spitting out his answer. "My men are no concern of yours, Your Majesty," he told her, emphasizing Regina's title as if to make a mockery of it. Regina only tsked her disapproval at the man and shook her head, her taunting smile never leaving her lips.

"Oh, but they are, dear," she told him. "The mongrels foolishly follow wherever you lead and this day, you have led them, unwisely, into my lands. How very bold of you, Robin. Tell me, have you a death wish?"

"You no longer rule these lands, witch!" he spat at her. "These woods are the territory of the White Queen, a gracious ruler who would never condone such violence as this."

"Mmm, yes, Snow White," Regina purred at the hunter, though she was sure to decorate the raven-haired woman's name with as much disdain as possible to keep her appearances as the entire realm knew of her ages-old feud with her former step-daughter. Snow kept her head down and hidden in the shadows of her hood, though she kept the point of her arrow aimed fiercely at the man still trapped in Regina's magical clutches. A shiver shot down her spine with the way her name rolled viciously off the witch's tongue, memories flooding through her at the sound, though she quickly shook her head to remain in the reality of the moment, focused.

"Tell me, Robin, how gracious do you believe the White Queen would feel were she to know it was your arrow that pierced her own dear daughter's flesh this day?" Regina asked him, her anger rising in her veins again, though she maintained her composure, emphasizing each and every word so as to ensure that the message sunk sorely in. She was pleased to see her success when the man's eyes widened and he immediately began to stutter his denial.

"Wha-what? No, my arrow pierced only a wolf, a child of the moon!"

Before Regina could respond, a twig snapped loudly to their left. Snow spun in a blur of tan and white, her arrow releasing with fierce speed and precision. The guttural, sputtering cry of one of Robin Hood's merry men echoed through the forest as the man stumbled forward from the shadows, a poised dagger dropping from his fist and Snow's arrow embedded perfectly in his chest, before he fell to the forest floor, dead on arrival. Regina let out a truly devilish laugh, a delightedly, convincingly evil cackle as she turned back to the hunter still bound by the enchanted branches.

"Well, that was entertaining!" she exclaimed wickedly, smirking at the man. "Anyone else care to try their hand at the Evil Queen?" she called loudly, her laughter ringing through the surrounding woods, though the sound was quickly cut off by Robin Hood's echoing gasp as the man zeroed in on the woman positioned just behind Regina. Snow's hood had fallen in her swift turn and her easily recognizable features were quite visible at last.

"The White Queen?!" gasped the hunter. Snow merely narrowed her eyes at the man, saying nothing as Regina quickly jumped in.

"Oops, did I forget to introduce my dear companion?" she asked rhetorically as she smirked at the man, finding his slack-jawed expression truly humorous.

"Since when does the fair Snow White act in league with the Dark Queen?" Robin asked, spitting the question at the two women as if both their names now were poisons upon his tongue.

"Yes, well, we all enjoy dabbling in the dark side every once in a while, do we not?" Regina said, laughing loudly once more. "You would know well of this, would you not, Robin? My, my, attacking the royal princess. Such treason. How very evil of you, dear."

"It is an act punishable by death, is it not, Snow?" Regina asked the raven-haired woman sweetly, though her gaze never left the man.

"Indeed it is," Snow answered her, finally putting words to voice. She then swiftly readied another arrow in her bow and raised it, aimed for the hunter's heart. Robin's eyes widened further at this and he quickly began pleading with the women.

"Wait! Wait, please," he begged of both queens. "I knew not that it was the princess!"

Regina clenched her fist, the branches tightening viciously around the man's limbs in response as she pulled him even closer until his face was but a breath from her own. "Do not lie to me," she said, the words a low and ominous growl in her throat, a clear and terrifying threat.

"I speak the truth, I swear!" he choked out as a new branch shot forth to wrap tightly around his chest, clenching until he could hardly force air into and out of his lungs. Regina pursed her lips and tilted her head as she surveyed the man, making a show of her consideration of his plea. "Please, I was ordered to attack the wolf!" he tried again, his voice straining against the lack of oxygen. With these words, though, the pressure around his chest instantly lessened as the fallen queen narrowed her eyes on the hunter.

"By whom?" she asked him.

"I can speak not his name," Robin told her quietly as if terrified to even say this much aloud.

Regina rolled her eyes dramatically and sighed. "I tire of this game, Robin," she said dryly. "My patience grows quite thin." As she said the words, she clenched her fist once more and the branch around the hunter's chest tightened viciously again.

"No, please," he grunted in response, pleading with the witch.

"Then you will tell me the man's name!" she commanded, her voice an ominous echo in the dark forest.

"I…am for—forbidden..by…by—" the man tried to explain, but his voice was naught but a choking, gurgling sputter in his throat. Regina sighed dramatically again and loosened the branch's hold once more. Robin coughed and wheezed heavily as oxygen flooded back into his lungs before he quickly finished his explanation. "I am forbidden by way of a magical contract," he told her.

Regina's eyes widened and her blood boiled in her veins as the implications of the hunter's words slammed into her chest full force. "Rumplestiltskin," she growled, her eyes flashing a brilliant purple as rage racked her body and magic crackled in her fingertips. Robin Hood said nothing, only nodding in response to the witch's words, though his fear grew at the sight of the fallen queen's obvious fury.

"He offered my men and I great fortune, pure gold, in exchange for my services," the hunter explained further. "He transported us into your lands and provided me with the silver arrows. I was to pierce two children of the moon outside the Dark Queen's castle, a white wolf and a brown one, at dawn. He told me nothing of the wolves, I swear. I knew not the princess's identity. I fled the castle grounds after releasing the second arrow, once I recognized you as the Dark Queen after you appeared on the grounds beside the fallen wolf."

Magic and fury crackled in the forest air as Regina's eyes only burned a brighter purple. The large branch around Robin Hood's chest swiftly retreated only to be instantly replaced with the witch's own hand. The hunter cried out painfully as Regina's nails and knuckles dug through his flesh, tearing through bone and muscle, and slender fingers wrapped wickedly around his heart, clenching tightly. The pain was exquisite as he felt it in every cell of his body, the crushing weight of death threatening the slowing rhythm of his heart.

"No, please," he grunted, "I told..you…all I know."

"And you believe this excuses your actions?" Regina asked, her blazing purple eyes narrowing on the man. "The poaching of wolves is strictly forbidden in these lands and the wolf you struck just so happened to be a royal as well as my betrothed!" She clenched the man's heart even tighter as his eyes widened at the words.

"Be—betroth-?" he tried, though the pain was now so intense he could hardly think, let alone speak. He closed his eyes, clenching them tightly shut as he prepared for the death that Regina's iron grip promised.

Regina? The fallen queen visibly stumbled as her beloved's voice suddenly whispered in her mind. Her hand slipped from Robin Hood's chest as she then grasped at her own, sucking in a sudden breath as the surprise and elation of hearing Emma's voice overwhelmed her. Her hold on her magic instantly released and the branches slithered away from the hunter who dropped heavily to the ground, his chest heaving though he quickly recovered and stood once more. Snow's own eyes widened at Regina's sudden falter, though she kept her own composure, her arrow still locked in position and aimed at the hunter's chest.

Emma! Oh, thank gods! Regina practically shouted in her mind, and the response was immediate.

Regina, I know not where I am, but I am wounded, the princess told her quickly and Regina could hear the pain in her lover's voice just as she could feel it, still, within her own body through their bond.

I know, my love. Just hold on, Emma. I am coming for you. Trust me.

I trust you.

Regina's gaze snapped back to the hunter, renewed purpose filling her chest with a vengeance though her patience was entirely gone. She needed to get to Emma as quickly as possible. The witch snapped her fingers quickly and Robin Hood's enchanted bow and quiver of arrows vanished from his back and reappeared in Regina's hands. She waved a swift hand over the weapons and magically ground them into dust, forever useless to the hunter. Robin screamed his fury at having his enchanted bow crushed to dust before his very eyes, though he dared not move on the fallen queen.

Regina then turned quickly to the reigning queen. "We must go, Snow. Now," she told the raven-haired woman and made to move to her side once more to transport them from the dark forest. Just as she was reaching for Snow's hand, though, Robin Hood's voice called out to her in a vicious taunt. "No matter," he said flippantly, unable to stop himself from getting the final word, the final blow. "The bow served its purpose. Betrothed of the Evil Queen? Ha! The princess should thank me for sparing her such a fate."

Regina's rage rolled through her like lightning once more, though before she could even move, Snow White's hands flew swiftly into place once more, her fingers plucking the string of her bow with frightening speed. Her arrow ripped through the short space between them and viciously implanted itself in the hunter's throat. Robin Hood scratched and clawed at his throat as he stumbled and fell to the forest floor, a horrible gurgling sound filling the air as he choked now on his own blood. Regina's eyes widened with her surprise as she watched Snow White walk purposefully forth to hover over the dying man.

"A gracious queen I am," she told him, smirking. "Insulting the Evil Queen? You should thank me for sparing you the fate of her retribution." And with that, the White Queen spit upon the man before turning back to the wide-eyed witch and reaching for her hand. "Shall we?" she asked.

Regina blinked rapidly before clearing her throat and whispered, "Yes, of—of course. Let us go." She laced her fingers through Snow's and all that remained of them seconds later was the swirling magic of their departure.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter Forty-Four: Shades of Red and Blue

"Red, please, you require rest," Blue pleaded with the wolf who had taken to pacing the length of her chambers and biting her nails furiously. The former fairy had considered it a great success when Red had gone to her chambers without coercion, though actually getting the woman to lie down and rest was proving to be quite the challenge.

"How am I to rest, Blue, when my child is wounded and being held captive gods only know where?" Red growled at the petite brunette. "And her beloved is out hunting a man for information to find her with SNOW WHITE of all people!"

"Yes, Red, but—"

"And I nearly died, Blue! I nearly DIED at the hands of the same person who now has my child! How am I to be calm? Are you calm? I am NOT calm!" Red practically shouted through the chambers. Blue had been truly surprised to see how quickly the wolf's panic had stirred into a burning frenzy. She had been well collected just before Regina's and Snow's departure; however, it seems the absence of any and all those who could actually provide the woman with answers had fueled her panic and her fear.

"Yes, I can see that," the former fairy said dryly, having given up and now simply stood to the side with her hands propped atop her hips as the wolf continued to pace.

"And I should be out searching for her! I should be with Regina, not Snow. Emma is my child, and I should be out fighting for her, and yet I am here, in the palace, being told to rest of all things by a fairy!"

"Former," Blue added quickly, and could help not the small smile now gracing her lips as Red's tirade was truly beginning to border on the ridiculous and comical.

"What?!" Red suddenly snapped, halting in her furious pacing to face the petite brunette.

"Former," Blue repeated, hoping her next tactic, a little humor, would work in effectively calming the wolf. "You are being told to rest by a former fairy, or need you be reminded that I am no longer Fae? I should think the lack of sparkling wings and glittering hair would be a constant reminder along with the grand expansion in size, seeing as how I once would have fit well in the palm of your hand."

Red simply gawked at the woman, open-mouthed, her face contorted in confusion before she suddenly burst into a deep and echoing round of laughter, and the feeling was overwhelmingly wonderful. She had truly needed it. The trauma of feeling her own life quickly slipping away only to be revived knowing her daughter's life was still in danger was weighing heavily on the wolf. Every breath was a struggle and her heart pounded madly in her chest. She knew that both Regina and Blue were right in that she needed rest. She could feel the weakness of her normally strong body and muscles, the exhaustion flooding heavily through her cells. Even if Regina had allowed her to accompany them on their journey to find Emma, she knew she would have quickly become useless. Even now, it was as if her body was screaming at her to lie down, to close her eyes, to fall away from the world for a while.

Red crossed the short space between them in two long strides and bent to wrap the former fairy in a tight embrace, the petite brunette's feet lifting easily just off the floor. She turned her face into the woman's neck and whispered, "Thank you, Blue," before setting her feet gently back to the floor.

Blue cupped a palm around the wolf's cheek, though she nearly had to stand on her toes to reach, and smiled brightly at her. Her own fear and worry were brewing wildly in her mind and heart, so she could only imagine the extent of Red's own fear, but she knew their panic would gain them nothing, and she knew Red truly needed rest above all. The dark circles swimming beneath the woman's chocolate eyes were telling enough without the added heavy sag of her shoulders and ragged breathing. She was happy to have been able to dispel some of Red's tension, though, and hoped that the woman would now be more willing to lie down and sleep for a short while at least. "You are quite welcome," the former fairy answered.

The wolf reached up and took Blue's hand from her cheek and held it gently in her own. A teasing smirk perked up a corner of her mouth as she squeezed the woman's hand and said, "You know, I would not go as far as to say a grand expansion in size, Blue. You are still rather small."

Blue narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at the wolf though she could help not the small laugh that escaped her as she playfully jabbed at Red's sides. "Yes, well, we cannot all be tall and ferocious, now can we?" she asked dryly, which only evoked another round of laughter from the wolf.

"I suppose not," Red said, smirking once more.

"Now, will you please lie down?" Blue asked, hoping she had softened the woman enough for compliance.

Red sighed dramatically before turning around and stalking toward her bed. "Very well," she grumbled as she threw back the sheets and crawled atop the massive mattress. The former fairy followed the wolf to the bed and waited for her to settle before placing the back of her hand to Red's forehead.

"You are warm," Blue said, concern flashing in her eyes.

"I am a child of the moon, Blue," Red answered her, chuckling softly. "My body's temperature is always elevated."

"Oh, right," the petite brunette said with a nod and a relieved grin. "Well, you rest, and I shall go and fetch you some water and something to eat for when you wake." She then turned to leave the bedchamber, but was quickly halted by Red's hand shooting from the covers to wrap tightly around the former fairy's wrist.

"Blue, wait," the wolf said softly. Blue turned back to Red and studied her curiously, waiting for an explanation. "Will you stay, please?" Red asked her, thoroughly surprising the woman with the earnest plea that decorated her voice. The tall brunette patted the bed in the open space to her left and said in a voice much smaller and more vulnerable than any Blue had ever heard the wolf use, "Until I fall to slumber, please? It is just that…well, the last I closed my eyes, I feared they would never open again."

Blue nearly melted at the words and the trembling hint of fear in Red's voice, her own eyes stinging with threatening tears as the memory of that morning flooded through her once more, of Red's dying body in her and Regina's arms. She swallowed the heavy lump in her throat and simply crawled over the wolf and into the bed beside her. She sat gingerly against the headboard while Red turned toward her and surprised her by wrapping an arm tightly around her legs. She hesitated a moment, unsure of how to respond, though she knew the woman desired comfort so she allowed a gentle hand to fall to Red's hair and stroke softly through the long, chocolate locks.

Human emotions and physical interactions were still so new and foreign to the former fairy even after seven years of being mortal. She knew she was awkward at best, but she found she quite liked the sensations of being human, as well as the ability to give and receive great comfort and love to and from others. It was pleasantly shocking and truly wondrous to Blue how something as simple as a tender touch of one's hand upon another's back or arm or shoulder could calm one so effectively. She had lived nearly three centuries as Fae and had never fully comprehended the magnitude of physical affection shared among mortals. It seemed nice, yes, but now having experienced much of it for herself, she had truly begun to understand why humans craved it so. Her new human emotions were so overwhelming at times that she felt she might explode with them all, thus she was quite thankful for the comfort often provided her by Regina, Emma, and especially Red. The wolf was a very physically affectionate creature, always abundant with tender touches and loving embraces. Blue quite reveled in it and often found herself missing the woman's touch once it had gone.

"Blue," Red whispered, her voice muffled by the blankets tucked into her chin, though it was enough to startle the former fairy from her stirring thoughts, "Emma will be alright, yes? She will be alright?" The petite brunette's heart melted once more at the vulnerability and aching sadness in the wolf's voice as she continued to stroke Red's hair.

"I hope so, Red," the woman whispered in return. "I truly hope so."


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter Forty-Five: To Love a Monster

Emerald eyes fluttered slowly open before blinking rapidly in an attempt to adjust to the intense darkness of the surrounding room. Emma shivered and groaned as she came back to consciousness, her entire body intensely aching as she shifted on the cold ground. She hissed in pain and her hand shot to her side, and though she could see not the wound there, she could feel the sticky wetness of blood coating her exposed flesh. Memory flooded swiftly back to her as she suddenly recalled the feeling of an arrow slamming into her body, and though she could feel that the arrow had been removed from her side, her wound remained open yet somehow slowed in its advancement or perhaps halted from advancing altogether; otherwise, she surely would have bled to death by now.

The princess continued to blink rapidly, straining to see through the overwhelming blackness of the room. What she would not give now to be back in the body of the wolf with her keener senses and perfect ability to see in the dark. She had not a clue as to where she was and panic rose quickly in her chest. The room was cold, achingly cold, and her body remained bare from her transition, freezing upon the stone floor of this unfamiliar place that felt much as a dungeon. She could feel straw at her fingertips, scattered about the floor, and she had the sinking feeling that she was being held prisoner somewhere, yet she had no memory beyond that of the arrow piercing her. She strained to recall something, anything, but there was only black in the recesses of her mind, the force of the attack having knocked her unconscious for the events that followed. She was terrified, truly, down-to-the-bone terrified.

Regina? She called for her beloved, forcing herself to remain calm though tears stung viciously at the corners of her eyes.

Emma! Oh, thank gods! Regina's voice was as a warm and heavy rain, washing sweetly over her as it sang through her mind. She was instantly comforted by the response, though the sheer relief mixed with obvious panic in the witch's voice only confirmed Emma's fears that something quite terrible had taken place.

Regina, I know not where I am, but I am wounded, she told her Soul Mate, trying her best to keep her voice neutral though she knew given the waves of anxiety rippling through their bond that Regina could sense her pain and her fear.

I know, my love. Just hold on, Emma. I am coming for you. Trust me. The princess's heart calmed exponentially at Regina's words. She knew her witch would never let her down, would fail her not. Regina would come for her, wherever she was, and she would tear the entire world apart to get to her if she had to. She trusted in her beloved's abilities and in her determination to save her, just as she herself had once been determined to find the witch, cursed and hidden. Nothing could keep them apart. They were one.

I trust you, Emma told her, her tone resolute as she allowed her heart to swell with her love for the fallen queen and projected the feeling as best she could through their bond.

She was weak, very weak, and every breath felt like a torrid affair, a heavy and labored exercise she struggled to maintain. She lowered a shaking hand once more to her wound and summoned as much energy as remained within her exhausted body and called forth her magic to heal her. She waited for the sensation to fill her, for the heat of the magic to grace her aching flesh and mend it, but the feeling never came. Her magic was stunted in her hands, held forcibly at bay. She tried again and again to no avail, only exhausting herself further. She then closed her eyes and called forth the image of home, of the palace, and attempted to transport herself there, also to no avail. She remained firmly in place, a crumpled, bloody heap atop freezing stone.

Emma finally stopped trying and simply rested her cheek to the cold floor. Unbidden, tears spilled forth as sobs began to painfully rack her wounded and weakened body. She was emotionally raw, physically exposed, hopelessly powerless, deeply in pain, and utterly afraid. She could stop not the endless flood of tears once it began and her voice, cracked and ragged, groaned through her sobs and cried out for her beloved, for her mother, for anyone to help her, to show her mercy in this moment of weakness. She just wanted to go home.

Suddenly a door she had not known was there as she could see not beyond an inch in front of her face, wrenched open. Emma threw a hand to her eyes as the sudden light was like a burst of fire in her pupils before blinking rapidly and focusing on the silhouette of a petite woman standing in the open doorway holding a small lantern and a thin blanket. The woman glanced quickly around before entering the room and pulling the heavy wooden door closed behind her.

Emma watched as the woman darted quickly to her and dropped to her knees, placing the lantern on the floor beside her and throwing the blanket atop the princess's shivering body. Emma groaned out a sigh of relief at the bit of warmth the thin blanket provided her naked form. She studied the gracious woman's features in the flickering light of the lantern and saw that she was quiet beautiful, stunning blue eyes and beautiful chocolate locks flowing around her face. "Thank you," she whispered to the woman, truly grateful for the kindness of the light and the warmth.

"I am so sorry for this, Emma," the brunette said quietly, her voice tinged with sadness and laden with a heavy accent. Emma was surprised to learn that the woman knew her name; then again, she was a royal and surely whoever had taken her from the palace knew as much. "I have pleaded with him to allow you to leave, but he will not see reason."

"Who?" Emma croaked. "Who is he? Who are you?"

"My name is Belle, and the man I speak of is the one who holds you captive here," Belle told the princess. "Rumplestiltskin." Emma's eyes widened upon hearing the name, stories from her childhood swiftly flooding through her mind. The Dark One. She had heard much of him from Snow's stories, her history lessons, and Regina's own stories as well. According to Regina, the man was a monster, which truly spoke volumes of Rumplestiltskin considering such a label had come from the woman an entire realm had once dubbed as the Evil Queen.

The princess's fear and panic grew exponentially as the dark reality of her situation slammed into her and left her breathless. The Dark One was powerful beyond measure and she was now fully in his clutches. She feared for her life, but worse, she feared for Regina's as she knew the witch would come for her, fiery fists blazing and vengeance in her heart. She needed to escape this place quickly. She needed to heal her wound and regain her energy so that she could aid her betrothed. Otherwise, she feared the worst might be in store for them both, though she knew not why.

"Why? Why has he brought me here?" Emma asked her, reaching to pull the blanket more tightly around her body, trembling with the cold as well as with her fear.

"He seeks vengeance upon the Dark Queen. She captured me many years ago while I was in the dark forest and after learning of my connection to Rumple, she held me prisoner in her castle."

Emma was truly shocked to learn of this, though it changed not her opinion of Regina. She had always known the woman had committed a great many wicked deeds, though she had been unaware of this particular one. "I am sorry," the princess whispered to the brunette.

"She assured me that I would not be in her possession long, yet I remained there more than ten years," Belle told her, her voice cracking a bit as her eyes shone with tears.

"She was captured," Emma explained, hoping this might help to redeem her love's wickedness to the woman even if only a small fraction. "She was captured and placed within a magical prison. She remained there over a decade before she was placed within a Sleeping Curse by my birthmother, the White Queen. She slumbered six years before I was able to find and revive her."

"I believe you," Belle said sweetly, placing a comforting hand atop the blanket just over Emma's shoulder. "I never believed her as evil as her reputation claimed. She was quite kind to me even after she locked me within the palace." Emma shared a long, knowing look with the brunette before nodding and offering the woman a small smile of gratitude for her understanding despite all that she had been through at the hands of the princess's beloved.

"So, you are not captive here as well?" Emma asked her softly, taking in the woman's clean and simple dress, and well-rested features. She seemed quite well and she obviously had the means to procure a blanket and come to her aid.

"I am not," Belle answered. "I am afraid I rather love the man who has shown you such unkindness this day. I make no excuses for his cruelty toward you or for the evils he has committed in the past and continues to struggle with, but he does have good in him. It is buried deep within where his heart still remains true, but it is there."

"I understand," Emma whispered, sincere in her words. "I know what it is to love someone that others label as a monster. The woman I consider to be my true mother is a child of the moon and the Dark Queen who held you captive—she is my betrothed." Long silence followed as they simply sat together, the uniquely similar realities of their loves and their lives washing over them, before Emma lifted a hand from beneath her blanket and reached for one of Belle's. She clutched onto the brunette's hand and met her gaze, emerald on sapphire.

"What will become of me, Belle?" Emma asked her, her voice quaking and cracking once more as new tears rushed to the surface. "I have been wounded and I am unable to heal myself. My magic…"

"This room is enchanted to prevent the use of magic while within its walls," the brunette answered sadly, her own tears springing forth upon hearing the fear and the hopelessness trembling in Emma's voice. "I believe Rumple has halted the progression of your wound, though he would not heal it fully despite how I pleaded with him."

"Shall I die?" Emma asked, a choking sob wrenching from her throat. "Shall Regina?"

"I know not, Emma," Belle answered the princess, squeezing her hand tightly, "but I shall do all in my power to persuade him to stop with this madness. This, I promise you. I must go now, though, before Rumple learns of my absence."

"Wait, please," Emma said quickly, clutching onto Belle's hand as the brunette made to rise from her position on the floor. "If you love the Dark One, why do you seek to aid me?"

Belle's sapphire eyes softened as she cupped a gentle hand to the princess's cheek. "Because you are an innocent, Emma," she whispered softly. "To Rumple, you are naught more than leverage against the Dark Queen, and this is an unnecessary unkindness, a truly atrocious cruelty."

Emma nodded as hot tears continued to seep from her emerald eyes and she finally let go of the brunette's hand, instantly missing the comfort of having someone with her in the darkness, in the terrifying fear of all that was now happening to her. She watched as the woman darted quietly back to the door, though she left the lantern and the blanket with the princess. Once she reached the door, she pulled it slowly open and light flooded the small room once more as she slowly turned on the threshold to face the shivering princess one final time.

"Just hold on, Emma," Belle told her quietly, voicing the same words of reassurance that Regina had whispered through her mind shortly after she had woken in the dungeon, and Emma was deeply comforted by them again. With that, the brunette slid through the open door and pulled it quietly closed behind her, leaving the princess frightened and alone once more, her steady tears shimmering in the flickering glow of the lantern as she waited for rescue or waited for death.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter Forty-Six: We Are Gray

Regina and Snow appeared on an overgrown dirt path just west of the Dark One's castle. It had been a long journey even with magic and Regina could feel the strain on her energy, especially considering that she had not slumbered the previous night, yet she gritted her teeth and called forth all the strength she could muster to pair with the rush of emotions flowing through her and drive her onward. She would have teleported them directly into Rumplestiltskin's castle, but the imp had numerous charms and enchantments protecting the drab place from such sudden and magical invasions. Thus, Regina set her jaw firmly, summoned her resolve, and began a heavy march toward the black and towering palace, the White Queen scrambling to catch up to her and keep pace.

"Regina, is this wise?" Snow asked as she hurried alongside the fallen queen. "Are your powers a match for the Dark One's?"

"They are not," Regina told her honestly, "though the more emotional I become, the stronger my magic flows through my veins. If nothing more, I certainly have power enough to distract the twisted little imp whilst you seek out the princess."

"What? No, Regina, I cannot leave you alone in the hands of Rumplestiltskin," Snow said, shaking her head in denial.

"I am quite capable of caring for myself, dear," the witch answered dryly, though she could deny not her surprise at her former enemy's concern for her wellbeing. "You must find Emma and bring her to me as swiftly as you are able. Together, our combined magic, Emma's and mine, has the power to obliterate even the Dark One. We are of a magic older than time and greater than any other known to mortal and immortal alike. It is precisely the reason Rumple had need to incapacitate Emma. I am powerful in my own right, but without Emma, I am vulnerable to his magic, which is stronger than my own. Were we together, he would stand no chance against us. He would not even attempt it. We must be united, Snow. It is the only way to end this and keep our lives."

"And what if Emma remains incapacitated?" Snow asked frantically, now internally panicking with the implications of Regina's words. If Emma was unable to aid Regina, the witch could die. They both could. Theyall could. Snow's stomach rocked and rolled, ill with the morbid possibilities and roaring emotions ripping through her. "How will I even be able to find her?"

Regina held up a finger to halt the woman's questioning as she realized that she could help with this particular hurtle. She called out to her princess, hoping Emma could give them some sort of idea as to where within the castle she was. As Regina was quite familiar with the Dark One's humble abode, she may be able to guess of her beloved's location if given enough information.

Emma, my love? 

Regina! Emma's voice echoed instantly through the witch's mind and Regina took a deep, shuddering breath as relief washed over her once more. She ached to have the blonde in her arms again. Their bond was truly a precious and unique thing that Regina cherished above anything, though it was often rather incapacitating as nearly every minute they spent away from one another felt truly suffocating, as if a heavy fist were clenched tightly around her heart and lungs. It was painful, just shy of unbearable, and absolutely maddening. It was Rumplestiltskin, Regina! He has locked me within a dungeon.

Magic crackled brightly and loudly, snapping and sparking as it jumped from fingertip to fingertip as Regina heard the sheer terror in her princess's voice and felt the echoes of it, along with Emma's pain and exhaustion, trickle along their bond and into her own body. The witch wanted the Dark One's head for this. She wanted to tear the man limb from limb, rip his blackened heart from his disgustingly reptilian flesh and crush it to dust before dancing on the remains. She wanted him to hurt as she hurt, as Emma hurt. She wanted him hopeless and losing at his own twisted and foolish game. She wanted him punished.

I know, Emma, Regina answered the princess, her voice the calm and sweet tone always and forever reserved for only her beloved Soul Mate. I have come for you, so just hold on for me sweetheart. Now, is there anything you can tell me about the room in which you are being held, dear? Tell me all you can quickly. 

I know little, the princess answered her. It is quite dark and extremely cold. The floors are stone and there is straw strewn about. Regina's eyebrow arched when the last detail whispered through her mind. Straw. That was all she needed. She knew exactly where Rumple was keeping her beloved. I am sorry, Regina. I can see nothing else. I have but a small lantern here and my wound prevents me from moving much. It has been magically halted from advancing, yet it is still open and quite painful. I am unable to heal it. The room I am in has been enchanted to prevent the use of magic while within. 

Do not apologize, my love, Regina said solemnly. You have given me the information I require, and Emma, none of this is any fault of yours. It is mine. Rumplestiltskin seeks to exact revenge upon me and is using you to do so. I took someone from him many years ago.

Belle. Regina was genuinely shocked to hear Emma whisper the name in her mind, and immediately questioned the blonde's knowledge.

You know of Belle? The witch asked.

I do. She came to me though she was forbidden, Emma told her. She brought me the lantern and a blanket as I am still bare from the transition from wolf. She told me of your capture of her and that it was the reason for the Dark One's attack. She pleaded with him to release me and to abandon his quest for vengeance, yet she claims he refuses to see reason. He has appeared not to me. I believe I was merely the bait in drawing you here, Regina. 

You would be right, my love, Regina told her sadly, a burning lump rising in her throat. Emma was in danger because of her, because of something she had done so many years ago. Her beloved was alone and wounded and exposed because of her. Regina's heart pounded heavily in her chest with her grief and her guilt. I am so sorry, Emma. 

You need not apologize to me, Regina. You are no longer the Evil Queen, the princess whispered sweetly in the witch's mind.

That may well be true, dear, Regina agreed before her features grew cold once more, but this day, I assure you, I shall be. 

Very well, Emma answered after a moment of silence, surprising the witch with her willingness to condone as much, but please, Regina, be safe. I love you.

And I you, darling. And with that, Regina hardened her resolve and turned to face the raven-haired woman at her side who had been quietly keeping pace with the fallen queen, waiting for instruction.

"She is being kept in the West Wing, in the highest room of the tallest tower," Regina told Snow quickly as they were swiftly coming upon the Dark Castle. "It is Rumplestiltskin's spinning chamber, the room where he spins straw into gold."

Snow nodded her understanding and asked, "How shall I get there?"

"Once we are within the castle, take the grand staircase to its peak and turn left. The entrance to the West Wing is hidden behind a tapestry at the end of the corridor. You must find your own way from there. I shall cast a cloak of invisibility upon you, but Snow, it is vital that you move quickly and quietly. You shall not be seen, but you still can be heard. Rumple's castle is heavily enchanted, especially the West Wing as it harbors many of his most valuable magical trinkets. The Dark One has eyes and ears everywhere—within the walls, the portraits, even the suits of the armor. If you are heard or sensed, it will trigger a magical trap and you will surely be in danger. You must not be detected. Do you understand?"

"I do," Snow told the witch, her heart beating like a war drum in her chest. Regina's tone was cold and solemn. Her chocolate eyes locking fiercely with Snow's own emerald orbs, and the White Queen had a sinking feeling in her gut that something truly terrible would happen this day. "Will the Dark One not have foreseen this? Will he not know of your plan?"

"No," Regina answered her matter-of-factly. "Rumple's power of foresight is flawed. He is only able to see that which he focuses upon. It was he who told me of the power of Soul Mates and once news spread of the princess's escape from the White Kingdom as only a child, he surely would have riddled out the reasoning behind my need of such information. It is because of this as well as the fact that I have been rather incapacitated much of the last seven years, that I believe his focus has been solely upon Emma. It is surely how he was able to know of her transition to wolf this past night and plan his attack accordingly. He has been biding his time many years now, waiting for a supreme moment of vulnerability to deprive me of my love as I once deprived him of his own. Immortality makes one rather patient, it seems."

"Rumplestiltskin is powerful and rather wise, yes, but he is also foolishly arrogant," the witch continued. "Once he succeeded in the initial wave of his plan, that of Emma's incapacitation and abduction, he would think not to question his further success. He needed not the power of foresight to know that I would come for her; therefore, he would not and will not be watching beyond his attack. We have the element of surprise as he would never expect you, of all people, to be working alongside me; thus, we must use this to our advantage. You must get to Emma whilst I distract and deal with Rumple. Once she is freed from the enchantment of the spinning chamber, she will be able to call forth her magic to heal her wound, and then you must bring her to my side. Then, we will finish this once and for all."

"Very well," Snow answered. She and Regina had only just reached the Dark Castle and were standing off to the side, hidden well within the shadows cast by its towering black stone walls. The White Queen and the Dark Queen shared a long look of understanding, both steadying and steeling themselves for the battle ahead. Snow then nodded to the witch who flicked her wrist and watched as a cloud of purple swirled around the raven-haired woman. Snow's features slowly began to fade from view as if she was disintegrating into the open air and then, she was gone.

Regina heard a gasp and smirked. She could still remember the first time she had ever cast the cloaking enchantment upon herself. No words could truly describe the strange sensation of holding one's own solid hand in front of one's face only to see straight through it as if it were not there at all. "How do you feel?" she asked the now invisible queen.

"As the fairest of them all," Snow replied dryly, and Regina actually chuckled at the words.

"Shall we then?" the fallen queen asked as she turned to make from the shadows of the castle and face the man who had once been her magical mentor, but an invisible hand clutched at her wrist and pulled her back.

"Regina," Snow whispered timidly, "you will be safe, yes?"

Regina was surprised by this, her heart fluttering in her chest with her wonder as her emotions continued to roll and collide within her. "Truthfully, Snow, why would you care so? And in the dark forest…you defended my relationship with Emma. You put an arrow through a man's throat and all but laughed about it. You! Snow White! The very woman who once added 'evil' to my name. Do you believe such actions will win you favor in your daughter's eyes?"

Snow shook her head in denial of this, though realizing the witch could not see this, she spoke again. "It was not for Emma that I acted as such nor is it for Emma that I care about you now as I once did, Regina. It is becauseof her. Seven years ago, just before Emma fled the palace, she said something to me that I have never forgotten, something that until your return to the White Kingdom with false news of her death had never fully sunken in. She said, 'People are not simply black or white. There are shades of gray that cannot and should not be overlooked.'"

Regina lips stretched with a slight smile upon hearing this. "She was a rather wise child, indeed."

"She was," Snow agreed, her voice cracking as the memories flooded through her. "I suppose I finally realized the truth of her words. I suppose I finally realized, Regina, that you and I are perhaps more similar than I ever cared to see or admit. We are not strictly black or white, good or evil. We are both. We are gray."

Regina's own eyes now stung with tears she forced at bay and though she felt she should say something, her throat closed tightly in the moment and prevented her voice. So, instead, she simply nodded and held out an open hand. When she felt Snow's invisible hand settle in her own, she squeezed it tightly before letting it fall and turning toward the dark castle once more. She took a deep and steadying breath before stepping from the shadows, and though she would not admit it aloud, Regina felt true comfort in knowing that none other than Snow White followed quickly behind.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Dark Castle

It was not Regina who burst into the dark castle with a blinding vengeance this day. It was not the Regina who once believed in hope and beauty and the magic of True Love. It was not the Regina who fell in love with the stable boy, nor was it the Regina who graciously saved the child of a King from a stampeding horse. It was not the Regina who sat lonely in a prison cell and wished for a friend or the Regina who found that friend in the form of a golden-haired child. It was not the Regina who smiled and laughed and knew the true meaning of family. It was not the Regina who made passionate love to her Soul Mate or the Regina who timidly, though happily, accepted a princess's proposal of marriage. None of these soft-hearted, merciful women would suffice for the task ahead. No, it was not simply Regina who stood to challenge the Dark One this day. It was the Evil Queen.

The doors of the dining hall rocketed open, nearly wrenching from their hinges, to reveal the commanding presence of the Evil Queen. Electricity sparked and crackled on the woman's fingertips as she stalked into the enormous room, the billowing skirt of her royal gown flowing elegantly in her wake. Her chocolate eyes, now glowing a brilliant purple, instantly fixed fiercely upon the golden-skinned and scaly imp seated calmly at the head of a long, stone table in the center of the room.

"The same flimsy locks as always, I see," she said in a sickeningly sweet tone as she halted at the opposite end of the long table and perched her hands atop her hips. It was a tone she had often used during her reign, one laced with venom yet coated with sugar. It often suited her wicked purposes—feigned innocence, mockery, seduction, baiting, and precious deception. It was often a warning and at times, a weapon. This day, though, it was most certainly a warning as she had no desire to engage long in playful banter with the reptilian beast. She would taunt if need be, but Regina was beyond simple-minded games when her beloved was wounded and waiting for her, when her emotions were a raging tidal wave crashing viciously within her.

Rumplestiltskin locked gazes with the witch, his yellowed, glittering eyes devouring the sight of the woman he sought to punish. "Well, well, well, the Evil Queen has returned," he said with a flourished flick of his wrist. "I suppose captivity does rather lose its appeal after a decade or two. Tell me, dearie, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Let us not play these tired games, Rumple," Regina said, sighing dramatically, "not when you have stooped to such desperate measures to capture my attention."

"Desperate, dearie?" the Dark One reiterated. "Hardly."

"Oh no?" the fallen queen asked, arching a brow. "Recruiting the likes of a common poacher to do your dirty work for you only so that you could swoop in shortly after, disguised no less, to collect your prize? The Dark One not only requiring the aid of a thief but having need to wound and abduct a princess for leverage—sounds rather desperate to me, dear."

"Tell me, Rumple, is this about that girl I locked away in the palace? Such a pretty little thing." She pouted dramatically at the imp. "What does our dear Belle have to say of your recent wickedness, dear? Surely she approves not."

"Belle is not of your concern," the beast practically growled at the fallen queen.

"Oh, but she is, dear," Regina argued. "She is the reason we are here after all, is she not? Holding on all these years to gain your revenge?"

"Ah, a lesson in letting go from the Evil Queen herself," the Dark One taunted, though he gripped the arms of his chair tightly, the mention of Belle only stirring his need for vengeance further, "the very woman who vowed to curse an entire realm over naught more than a broken promise."

Regina only chuckled dryly at this. She would not be taunted by this man nor would she be pressed. She was in control here and intended to remain as such. Thus, she simply smiled wickedly at the man and playfully said, "Yes, well, not one of my finer moments, admittedly. However, I, at least, faced my enemy in the flesh and required not the aid of a commoner in doing so. Wounding the princess out of fear of the magic of Soul Mates, Rumple? How very cowardly of you."

Regina watched as the golden-skinned beast bristled in his seat, his formerly relaxed posture stiffening upon hearing the use of a term that had once been the definition of the man he was before his name was fatefully scrawled across a legendary dagger. The witch knew it was a low blow and had specifically chosen to word to press the imp's buttons, and as she knew it would, it worked.

"Tread carefully, dearie," he warned through gritted, yellowed teeth. "Your power is no match for mine. It was I who made you."

"I have no fear of you, Rumplestiltskin," Regina said coldly. "Indeed, it was you who made me, and yet you failed to foresee the power I would one day gain through the very princess you now hold captive, a power much greater than any you possess."

"A power that is lost to you without the girl," he chimed with a bob of his head and a nasty grin, though his anger only rose at having his power and authority not only questioned but mocked by none other than a former pupil of his. He maintained composure, though, and even sought to have a bit of fun with the witch. "She lies wounded and bleeding within this very castle, a true damsel in distress! Such a shame, dearie. I fear she has little life left in her now." He giggled gleefully as he said the words, hoping to return the fallen queen's taunt, to frighten her, enrage her even. He was shocked though to see his words have quite the opposite effect as Regina only laughed loudly in response.

The witch slammed her fists into the stone table as she cackled, electric sparks shooting from her flesh and onto the surface. The stone trembled ominously, wide cracks splitting its surface and running like rivers down its length. Her eyes, bright and purple, bore into the man, a gaze that promised punishment and even death; Rumple's own eyes spoke similar volumes. They were two sides of the same coin, Regina and Rumple—both once innocent and fearful mortals, both tainted by tragedy, both with an insatiable thirst for revenge, both having attained great power, both prideful and arrogant, and both so desperate for love that they would do anything to have and keep their loves and would decimate any and all who would stand in the way of it.

"Now I am certain of your desperation, Rumple," Regina called, still laughing animatedly, "as otherwise you would have no need of such lies." Before the man could even utter a word in argument, though, the witch spun on the spot and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke only to reappear seconds later directly behind the imp and so close that he could feel her body heat. Her words were a breathy whisper against his ear, only taunting him further. He was losing at his own game and nothing infuriated the man more.

"Even now she speaks with me," Regina whispered, her body pressed fully to the man's back, "or had you forgotten our little gift of Telepathy." She then swirled on the spot once more, the cloud of magic engulfing her only to reveal her again within seconds, now seated daintily atop a cushioned velvet sofa on the opposite end of the room. Rumplestiltskin shot from his seat and whirled around to face the fallen queen as the sound of her voice echoed through the dining hall once more.

"My beloved fares quite well," she bluffed, though she knew the imp would believe her with her next words. "It seems your precious Belle has been of great aid to her." Regina let out another wicked chuckle as she watched the reptilian man's eyes widen substantially and his lip curl into a snarl. The entire room began to tremble as his scaly hands curled into tight and straining fists.

"It seems I have quite the upper hand in this little game of yours, imp," Regina taunted, "but really, Rumple, I tire of games. So let us play no longer." With that, the witch shot from her position on the couch, her hands thrusting into the air and fingers curling. The room felt Regina's wrath as glass cases and trinkets cracked and shattered, bursting into jagged shards as she stalked toward the Dark One with vengeance in her eyes. She spread her arms wide and the thousands of shards rose ominously into the air to collect in a cloud of dangerous promise behind her, all aimed wickedly at the creature who now stood before her. He faced her fully, shoulders squared and eyes glittering, as Regina shouted her fury.

"I could have tortured your Belle. I could have taken her life. I could have ordered her viciously attacked as you so crudely ordered the attack on my love, and yet no harm came to your little beauty," Regina growled, the words echoing threateningly around the room as the shards behind her began to tremble, "and now, Rumplestiltskin, you have injured and taken the one I hold most dear, and I wish to have her back. You wanted me furious, and I am. You wanted me here, and here I stand! You want a battle, imp? Consider it done." And with that, Regina threw her arms forward, sending the trembling, jagged shards speeding forward through the air and straight for the Dark One's blackened heart.

An invisible Snow White watched only a moment as her companion, the fallen queen, marched off in the direction of the dining hall where the witch had sensed Rumplestiltskin's presence, before the White Queen darted as quietly as possible toward the grand staircase in the center of the dark castle's shadowy entrance hall. She heeded Regina's warning and tread as lightly as possible, keeping on her toes and in a defensive crouch as she ascended to the peak of the staircase, her eyes constantly darting in all directions, absorbing as much detail as possible and watching for any signs of threat or danger.

The dark castle was a tenebrous tower of black stone, a lonely abode decorated in its own decadence. Moth-eaten velvet hung from the walls in dusty crimson curtains, tied and hung into place, forgotten. Paintings, drab, dull, and many in tattered shreds, sat poised upon the stone walls between flickering torches and rusted weapon displays. Every inch of the place was thickly coated and laced with age. The hairs on the back of Snow's neck prickled and stood as she slipped soundlessly down the long corridor at the peak and to the left of the grand staircase. A ragged, yet plush crimson carpet beneath her feet aided in her stealth, though she could help not the feeling of being watched even if she was technically unable to be seen. It was as if the entire castle was alive, breathing, waiting, watching. She had never felt more surrounded in all her life even as she was entirely alone.

The feeling unsettled the White Queen greatly. She reached quietly to her belt and pulled two small, yet wickedly sharp daggers from the leather there and was pleased to see the knives were just as invisible as she. It seemed all that had been on her person at the time Regina cast the enchantment had been equally, and thankfully, affected. She poised the daggers in her hands, points at the ready just in case, and the small weight of the weapons helped ease her discomfort, though only just. The raven-haired woman reached the end of the corridor rather quickly in her haste to escape the fearful feeling swirling in her gut and prickling across her flesh, though as she slipped through the massive hanging tapestry and into the West Wing, her stomach rocked and rolled as the feeling, unfortunately, only grew.

The West Wing was even darker than the blackened and shadowed entrance hall that came before. Few torches graced the cobwebbed walls, and those that did barely retained their light, their small flames flickering with a constant threat of extinguishing entirely. The long, lonely corridor Snow now found herself in was so silent and so still that she feared even to breathe, terrified that her need of oxygen would sound as a ricocheting cannon in such silence, alerting some hidden, ominous enemy to her invisible presence. She strained her emerald eyes to see through the encompassing darkness of the corridor, taking note of the towering suits of armor that stood on stone pedestals along the passage, each poised regally with long swords resting beneath posed metal fists. She recalled Regina's words that even such suits of armor doubled as the eyes and ears of the beast that dwelled in the dark castle and a chilling shiver shot down her spine.

Strange trinkets and odd pieces of jewelry hung along the walls between the suits of armor along with small glass display cases housing what appeared to be various magical wands, amulets, and even more twisted objects as shriveled, severed fingers and tongues. Midway down the corridor, she came across a small wooden table upon which sat a glass dome encasing a single object that made Snow's stomach clench and churn. It was a single severed hand, magically preserved and decorated in jeweled rings and few small tattoos, one of which she recognized as the mark of a pirate—a skull and crossbones with an emboldened "P". She shivered down to her very bones before pushing onward as quickly and quietly as possible; however, just as she made her way past the glass-encased hand, her boot snagged on a rumpled bit of carpet.

The White Queen tripped momentarily over the carpet though she remained on her feet, her hand shooting out to the nearest tangible object to steady herself. Before she could realize what she had done, a loud thud echoed through the corridor as a glowing crystal ball rolled from the small shelf she now clutched for balance and fell heavily to the carpeted floor, bouncing twice before rolling loudly away. Snow immediately cursed herself and whirled in place, eyes darting madly through the darkness and daggers at the ready as she feared the sound might trigger some sort of magical attack as Regina had warned. Her breathing was heavy and laden with her fear as her heart pounded viciously in her chest, though after a few moments of only silence and stillness, the reigning queen breathed a heavy sigh of relief and relaxed her rigid and defensive posture.

It was just then, though, that the enchanted corridor of the West Wing reacted. Snow's eyes widened in terror as rigid suits of armor stepped from their pedestals in unison, each raising their swords and turning in the direction of the fallen crystal ball, drawn to the sound that had disturbed their slumber.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter Forty-Eight: Highest Room, Tallest Tower

Chills shot viciously down Snow White's spine as the enchanted suits of armor stalked toward her, drawn to the sound of the fallen crystal ball. Knowing she was still magically hidden from sight, the White Queen very slowly and quietly began to back away from the suits, taking small and careful steps as they inched toward her seeking the intruder that had disturbed their slumber. Snow kept her daggers up and at the ready as she slinked backward toward the end of the corridor, hoping to find an escape route, a stairwell that would lead her to the highest room of the tallest tower, the chamber where she knew her daughter lie wounded and waiting.

The reigning queen's heart raged against her ribcage, pounding so loudly that she feared the sound would only draw the suits further in her direction. She had but daggers while they carried swords. Were she detected, she knew not if she would be able to survive the ambush of the attack they would be sure to launch. Just as she took her next careful step backward, however, she felt her back slam roughly into another form, the heaving chest of a woman she had neither seen nor heard enter the corridor. Both women yelped with their surprise and the sudden collision caused Snow's daggers to fall from her hands, thudding loudly atop the carpeted floor.

The raven-haired woman felt a small and delicate hand suddenly smack into her face from behind, mapping her unseen features quickly before clamping roughly over her mouth while an arm wrapped tightly around her mid-section and yanked her swiftly to the side. Both she and the woman holding her slammed furiously into the stone wall and out of the main path of the corridor just as the enchanted suits of armor rushed toward the sounds, thrusting forth swords and clambering to find the source of the noise. Snow pressed tightly and heavily back into the body braced rigidly behind her, her breath slamming into the hand still clamped tightly around her mouth as her heart raced with abandon. Both women waited, their bodies as still as possible as they watched the suits of armor slowly began to retreat with the absence of further sound and the corridor's reclaimed stillness.

Once all the suits of armor had clambered back to their pedestals and stood, once more, in their original positions, the woman holding the invisible White Queen slid the both of them several feet to the right before slipping soundlessly through another tapestry and into a hidden room. Snow was finally released from the woman's hold and instantly swirled to face her. The room was rather dark, though Snow could just make out her features—long, dark hair and bright, sapphire eyes that practically glowed in the surrounding darkness.

"Thank you," the reigning queen whispered as quietly as possible to the woman.

"Why is it that I cannot see you?" the woman asked her just as quietly, her voice but a fluttering breath in the dust-thickened air of the hidden room as her gaze narrowed on the empty space where the words had sounded.

"It is an enchantment to aid in avoiding detection," Snow told her. "Who are you?" The White Queen was quite curious about the woman and wondered if she was another of the Dark One's captives, though she was incredibly grateful for her, whoever she was, as the blue-eyed woman had only just saved her life.

"My name is Belle," she answered, before pressing the woman. "I know not who you are, but the West Wing is forbidden. You could have been killed. Why have you come here?"

"I am Snow White," Snow whispered and watched as those sapphire eyes widened exponentially. "I seek the princess, my daughter. She is a captive here in the castle."

Belle dipped into a bowed curtsy upon realizing that the woman she had just saved was none other than the reigning queen of the White Kingdom. She was quickly relieved of the show of respect, though, as the pressure of an invisible hand settled atop her shoulder and the queen sweetly said, "There is no need for that, Belle. I will, however, ask of your aid once more. Are you able to lead me to the princess?"

Belle nodded quickly. "I am," she told the queen. "She is in the spinning chamber. I can take you there, but you must stay close and be as quiet as possible."

"Very well," Snow whispered and quickly fell into step behind Belle as the brunette slinked back through the hanging tapestry and into the corridor from which they had only just escaped.

Belle led her through an intricate series of rooms, all riddled with trinkets and trunks and display cases ripe with magical objects, a collection born over centuries of the Dark One's immortal life. They halted every few moments to avoid detection by some magical trap that the brunette seemed to be aware of though Snow could see no visible threat. After what seemed like hours, they reached a wrought iron spiral staircase surrounded by the rounded stone walls of a rising tower. They took the steps at a near run, Snow right on the brunette's heels. It seemed to go on forever, climbing, panting, and aching for relief, until finally they reached the highest platform which opened into a short corridor, lit from the light spilling through various windows.

"This way," Belle whispered as she darted quickly toward the last door of the corridor, a worn wooden plank with a sliding iron lock. She used both hands to slide the rusted lock from its position before wrenching open the heavy door to reveal the spinning chamber. Light spilled into the room and Snow's emerald eyes instantly locked on the naked, trembling body of her daughter, lying pale and wounded upon the freezing stone floor and clutching a thin blanket as if her life depended upon it.

It had been well over an hour now since Emma had last heard from Regina and several hours since she had last seen Belle, the gracious woman who had provided her the small comfort of a thin blanket and a flickering lantern. She was so cold now, though, that the blanket itself seemed frozen. The icy chill of the stone floor had seeped into her very bones and her entire body ached with the feeling, trembled with it. She knew not how much longer she would be able to cling to consciousness, to life. Her wound stung and throbbed fiercer now than before and she feared it might have developed an infection. Even if she was unable to bleed to death, she feared an infection would be the end of her.

The White Queen's eyes stung fiercely with her tears as Belle stepped into the room, capturing the princess's attention, and she watched as Emma tried her best to manage a small smile, though it appeared more as a grimace. She had been lying in this room for hours, shaking with the cold of the floor and with the pain of an open wound that was steadily sapping the energy from her body.

"B-Belle," Emma whispered, her teeth chattering fiercely as she said the woman's name, "you c-came back." The princess fought to keep her eyes open as her body screamed for relief, screamed for slumber, screamed for death.

"Yes, Emma," Belle said with a soft, sad smile, "and I am not alone. I brought help." With those words, an invisible Snow White stepped soundlessly into the chamber. As soon as her feet crossed the threshold, though, the enchantment of the chamber instantly rid her of Regina's magic and the White Queen was visible once more.

Both Emma and Belle gasped as the raven-haired woman suddenly snapped into view, and even Snow was surprised upon glancing down and being able to see herself again. She darted quickly over to her daughter and dropped to her knees. Tears leaked steadily in streams as she ran a hand through Emma's golden locks, now riddled with straw and filth. The princess locked eyes with the queen, emerald on emerald, and Emma whispered, "You…you c-came for m-me?"

"Yes, Emma," Snow whispered through her tears as she took in the shocked expression of her daughter's face and the heavy black circles that were beginning to taint the spaces beneath her eyes, a sure sign that though Emma's wound was magically halted from progression, her life, still, was ebbing slowly away. "I may no longer be your mother, but you will always be my child."

"R-Reg-gina?" the shivering blonde asked, her green eyes wide with sudden fear.

"She is here," Snow told her quickly, "but Emma, she requires your aid. She is unable to defeat the Dark One without you."

"M-my magic is g-gone," the blonde stuttered, tears building in her eyes as her fear for Regina gnawed at her gut, her fear that she would be unable to help her beloved.

"Not for long, darling," Snow reassured her, and with that the White Queen shocked all in the room by slipping her hands swiftly under her daughter's freezing, trembling body and scooping the princess from the floor and into her arms as if the blonde were light as air. Snow carried Emma quickly from the spinning chamber and into the outer corridor, before dropping back to her knees and resting the princess upon the floor once more. She carefully pulled the thin blanket from Emma's body and both she and Belle gasped at the sight before them, both sapphire and emerald eyes instantly flooding with tears.

Emma's wound was a gnarled matted mess of torn flesh and sticky crimson. The edges around the open wound were yellowed and weeping, reeking of infection. "Oh gods, Emma," Snow cried as she clutched a hand tightly to her chest and used the other to soothingly stroke her wounded child's icy arm.

Belle cupped a hand to her mouth as she watched Emma's eyes flutter, the princess's breath ragged and faint. Anger flared in her chest as she ached for the blonde. Rumple had done this to her, to an innocent young woman whose only crime was loving the man's enemy. He had gone much too far this time.

Snow pulled Emma's head into her lap and patted her cheek quickly to keep her awake. "Come on, love," she whispered. "you must heal yourself now." She reached for Emma's hand and pulled it to the festering wound, settling it atop the gnarled flesh so that the princess could will forth the magic to mend the gaping hole. Emma, though, only whimpered with her pain, her energy so completely faded that she could hardly muster the will to open her eyes.

"S-s-so t-tired," Emma whispered to the raven-haired woman who cradled her. She was delirious with her pain, with her exhaustion, and she felt as a weak and frightened child, a feeling that was only fueled by the presence and comfort of the raven-haired woman. "I am s-so t-tired, M-mother." A vicious sob wrenched from the White Queen's throat upon hearing the term of endearment whisper across her daughter's lips for the first time in seven years, upon hearing the chilling pain and sorrow in Emma's cracked voice. Tears gushed from her emerald eyes as she continued to tap her daughter's cheeks.

"I know, Emma," she cried. "I know it hurts, baby, and I know you are weary, but please, Emma you must. I promise you will be able to rest soon, but you must do this now, sweetheart. Regina needs you now, Emma. You must do this for her."

"R-Regina," Emma repeated the words, a small smile gracing her quivering lips. A surge of energy burst through the princess's heart and body as she fought to the surface, fought to will forth her magic, fought to get back to Regina.

Much to the relief of both Snow and Belle, Emma's hand began to glow a faint purple and they watched as the yellowed flesh slowly repainted itself fair and healthy. The ragged pieces of torn skin stretched over the gaping hole and laced together until the princess's side was whole and flawless once more, perfectly mended by magic. Emma sighed deeply with relief as the pain ebbed away from her, and though her exhaustion and the chill in her bones remained, the absence of her wound was a blessed reprieve from the ache she had now long endured.

Belle quickly stooped to retrieve the blanket and wrapped it around the naked and still trembling princess once more as she and Snow helped her to stand unsteadily on her feet. Emma leaned heavily on the reigning queen, her eyes still drooping with her exhaustion. "You require energy for what is to come, Emma. Take from me, love," Snow whispered into her daughter's hair. Emma rested her forehead to the queen's and nodded slowly against it, but just as she reached forth a shaking hand to siphon some of Snow's energy, Belle stepped closer and latched onto her wrist.

"No, Emma, take from me," she said gently, smiling sweetly at the princess. "You both shall require your energy. Please, it is the least I can do." Two pairs of emerald eyes studied the woman for only a moment before Emma nodded and extended her arm to place her hand gently atop Belle's chest, calling for the woman's warmth and her strength.

Belle shivered as she felt the warmth of her body seep from her limbs and rush toward her rapid pulse before slipping from her body entirely and into the hand resting over her heart. She visibly faltered, swaying on her feet as her energy followed, leaking into the princess who had such need of it. She gave it willingly, hoping this small gift could, in part, pay for all that her beast had done this day. The feeling lasted only a moment, though, before the hand over her heart lifted and Belle was quickly pulled into a crushing embrace.

"Thank you, Belle," Emma whispered into the woman's chocolate locks, "for everything." When the princess pulled from the embrace, the vast difference in her physical appearance from only moments before was astounding. Her flesh was now flushed with color, her emerald eyes shining brightly. She stood firmly on her feet, still wrapped in the thin blanket as she smiled at the brunette. Belle returned her smile and nodded sweetly as she fought the need for slumber that suddenly washed through her.

Emma quickly dropped the blanket and flicked a wrist to cleanse and clothe herself, before turning back to Belle and placing a gentle hand to the woman's cheek. Belle's sapphire eyes drooped as she locked gazes with the princess. They shared a knowing look before Emma whispered, "I know not how this will end, Belle." Both knew that it was quite possible that either of their loves could die this day, and Belle knew that the loss of her beloved could very well happen at the hands of the young woman she had only just helped to escape and recover; however, they shared an understanding in this. No words were needed, only a tearful, knowing gaze and a nod of acceptance. Emma leaned forward and placed a tender kiss to Belle's cheek before turning back to Snow.

"We must hurry," she said quickly, lacing her fingers through the queen's. Snow nodded and within seconds they were enveloped in a swirl of purple smoke, disappearing from the tower.

Belle stood still and silent in the tower, her body now aching with exhaustion and her heart clenching painfully in her chest. She took a deep, steadying breath, though, and summoned her remaining energy. Something must be done, something to prevent this day from ending in tragedy. She bounded toward the spiral staircase and began her descent, making her way back to the hidden room in the West Wing where she had met the reigning queen, the room where she had been searching diligently for the one item she hoped could save Rumplestiltskin, could save them all.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter Forty-Nine: Checkmate

"You wanted me furious, and I am. You wanted me here, and here I stand! You want a battle, imp? Consider it done." And with that, Regina threw her arms forward, sending the trembling, jagged shards speeding forward through the air and straight for the Dark One's blackened heart.

Rumplestiltskin's hand shot forward as the glass rocketed toward him, and a burst of golden light and energy projected from his yellowed, open palm. It enveloped the shards even as they flew and instantly transformed them into thousands of tiny balls of fire. The fireballs wrenched up and over, arcing and twisting in their path to flee rapidly back in the direction from which they had come, aimed now for the Evil Queen.

Regina only arched an eyebrow and smirked at this. She swiftly brought her right hand, curled into a fist, up to her lips and blew through it. A storm of frost and snow blasted from her fist, instantly freezing and transforming the fire into delicate snowflakes that then drifted slowly and daintily to the floor.

"Pretty," Regina taunted, letting out a wicked cackle.

"And here I thought you rather hated Snow!" Rumple retorted with a theatrical flourish of his wrist before his scaly hands came roughly together in a resounding, thunderous clap and a chilling giggle bubbled through his reptilian lips. Every piece of furniture in the room instantly began to twist and reform, mutating into wicked and thorny branches, spiraling toward the witch from every direction.

Regina, heart pounding with a heady mixture of adrenaline, thrill, and a touch of fear, dropped her hands to her hips and spun on the spot. Her body twirled furiously, gaining more and more momentum until she became but a speeding blur of color and cold, echoing laughter. Her entire being morphed into a vicious tornado as she spun before rocketing around the room, crashing through the massive, prickling branches and leaving naught but shredded splinters of wood in her wake. As she blasted through the room, she muttered an incantation under her breath, and thunder crackled loudly through the dining hall as rolling black clouds materialized in the high space of the vaulted room, looming over the Dark One.

Vicious bolts of lightning jumped through the billowing black clouds before striking down at the imp. Rumple snapped his fingers and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke with a loud pop, just barely missing the bolt which erupted against the floor, crumbling stone and sending pieces hurtling outward. He reappeared on the opposite of the end of the room just as Regina slowed her spin and came to a grinding halt, her glowing purple eyes locking furiously with golden ones. The lightning in the clouds redirected its course and struck again for the imp who only snapped once more as the stone crackled again where he had only just been standing.

When he reappeared again, he giggled gleefully and sang, "Catch me if you can, dearie!" before disappearing again with a loud pop as the lightning struck for him again. Regina quickly waved a hand and the looming clouds evaporated. Her eyes darted swiftly around the room, searching for signs of the devious imp as she steadied herself for the next wave of attacks. She could feel her energy waning. She had yet to slumber and it had been a long, draining day, though she would be damned if she would let Rumple see as much. She remained alert, on edge. She was ready for whatever the beast could throw at her. She could do this—for Emma. For Emma, she could do anything. She only hoped Snow had gotten safely to the princess and that she soon would be reunited with her beloved, hopefully before Regina's remaining energy dwindled entirely into oblivion.

A loud pop suddenly echoed from behind and Regina swirled quickly on the spot just in time to see the Dark One appear in a cloud of black smoke, his golden-skinned hand shooting forward as he exclaimed an excited, "Ha!" A massive, hissing cobra erupted from the man's open palm and soared through the air, its fangs dripping and poised, aimed for the Evil Queen's throat. Regina dipped swiftly to the side and thrust out an arm, her hand expertly catching the cobra, curling and clenching just behind its hooded head. A surge of purple heat raced up her arm and into the serpent, transforming it into a long and glowing, fiery whip, which she then instantly brought down in a vicious lashing, and much to her surprise and to Rumplestiltskin's as well, the flaming whip cracked angrily across the Dark One's cheek, splitting the flesh wide.

Rumple's golden eyes flashed furiously as he locked gazes with the witch, whose own surprised expression quickly twisted into a taunting smirk. Solid black blood oozed at the ripped edges of the cut on his cheek before the open wound quickly sealed itself, the ability to regenerate being one of the benefits of having the powers of the Dark One. The only weapon that could mortally and fatally wound him was the very dagger that gave him his power.

"Check," Regina called smugly, her hands now settled atop her hips, the glowing whip trailing from her right fist and resting against the cracked and crumbled stone floor before disintegrating and falling to ash. Rumple's scaly lips stretched into an evil grin, his yellowed teeth glinting in the light of the dining hall, though his eyes spoke only rage.

Spears, daggers, arrows, and swords wrenched from various display racks around the dining hall walls, each speeding toward Regina one right after the other as the Dark One flicked his fingers continuously. The witch knew the imp was furious as she had never experienced such force or speed in magical throws and had trouble keeping pace with them, though she kept the concern and fear from her features, holding her smirk firmly in place as she stalked toward the man, her hips swaying maddeningly and her wrists flicking as quickly as possible to deflect each deadly weapon in turn. She needed to end this as she feared she would be unable to last much longer. Her body was screaming with its exhaustion. Gods, where was Snow? Where was Emma?

The vast array of weaponry continued its assault, plummeting toward her as she zeroed in on the imp. She flicked her wrist furiously to deflect the last of the weapons, a long, wickedly sharp spear, just as she stepped into Rumple's personal space and her free hand bolted forward before the man could react and slammed forcibly into the Dark One's chest, her fingers and nails clawing through muscle and bone and wrapping viciously around his blackened, beating heart. She laughed with her victory, but the sound quickly died in her throat as she noticed the devilish grin that stretched Rumplestiltskin's golden lips once more even as she clenched his heart, his yellowed eyes focused on a point over her shoulder. Before Regina had time to react and turn, though, the spear she had only just deflected arced in the air and soared back in her direction.

Regina's breath slammed from her lips in a gurgling, wheezing spray of crimson as she felt the head of spear embed forcefully and rip into her back, shredding through her stomach and intestines. Her purple eyes flickered and faded instantly to chocolate and bulged so fiercely that they threatened the confines of their sockets. She gasped for air and her hold on the Dark One's heart instantly faltered as she dropped her chin and her blurred gaze locked onto the triangular head of the spear, now painted a dark red and protruding from her tattered gut. Her gaze lifted once more and locked with the glittering eyes of her former mentor just as he thrust forth a scaly hand and curled it into the already saturated material of Regina's dress, pulling her forward to within an inch of his face.

"Checkmate," he whispered, his voice a victorious, though barely audible, growl. He then shoved the witch mightily, tossing her back with the force of his magic and sending her flying across the open space of the dining hall to land in a crumpled heap on the floor. As she slammed into the stone, the long stem of the spear snapped and pushed further through her, wrenching a guttural scream from her throat. Regina gasped for air as she reached for the head of the spear to pull the weapon from her abdomen just as a swirl of purple smoke appeared in the center of the room and weeping, bloodshot chocolate eyes lifted to see the stunning features of a golden-haired princess. Her beloved. Emma.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty: To Light the Darkness

Emma and Snow appeared in the center of Rumplestiltskin's wrecked dining hall, the princess instantly buckling over and clutching at her chest as her beloved's fierce pain ripped through their bond and slammed forcefully into her own body, heating her blood with a fear unlike any she had ever known. Her emerald eyes shot up and locked with the bloodshot chocolate of her beloved's bulging orbs and Emma's entire body rippled with her panic as she took in the state of her crumpled and heaving Soul Mate.

"No, Regina!" She screamed as she pushed forward, sprinting the distance separating her from her rapidly dying witch. Snow's gasp echoed around the hall as her eyes zeroed in on Emma's target and the reigning queen was quickly on her heels, racing to Regina's side. Emma fell roughly to her knees as Regina stretched forth blood-soaked and trembling hands, reaching for the sobbing princess. They clutched onto one another, Emma quickly shushing her beloved's panic and frantically muttering words of reassurance as she placed tear-stained and quivering kisses over the fallen queen's face and lips.

"I have you," she croaked. "I have you, Regina. Hold on for me, my love. I am going to help you." Emma poised a hand quickly over the head of the spear still protruding from the fallen queen's shredded abdomen just as Snow slid to the ground beside them, her arms instantly wrapping around Regina from behind to brace her and hopefully offer some small measure of comfort. Regina leaned heavily into the reigning queen, her head, drenched in sweat and eyebrows drawn with her tension, tucked into the space between Snow's chin and shoulder. "This is going to hurt," Emma whispered as tears slipped, fast and furious, down her fair cheeks.

"D-do it," Regina stammered as her right hand quickly fumbled around, searching for Snow's, before they came together. Regina laced her fingers through the White Queen's and gripped as tightly as possible. Snow only returned her grip while she raised her other hand and gently cupped it over the witch's eyes, not wanting her to have to see. Emma and Snow shared a pained look before the princess flicked her wrist back and watched as the broken spear embedded in her beloved wrenched from Regina's flesh and shot across the dining hall. A bone-chilling, guttural scream ripped raggedly from Regina's throat and Emma sobbed as she felt the woman's pain within herself.

Emma immediately placed her hand atop the ghastly gaping hole as Regina's body shook violently in Snow's arms, and called forth her magic to heal her beloved's wound and end her pain, but just as her fingers began to glow a comforting purple, her body was forcefully tossed to the side, wrenched into the air, and held suspended near the high arch of the vaulted ceiling. Her emerald eyes, wide with shock, shot to the source of the sudden magic and locked with the glittering golden eyes of a man she had only ever heard of in legends and storybooks—the Dark One.

"Ah, ah, ah, dearie," Rumplestiltskin tsked before letting out a maniacal laugh while he hopped theatrically from foot to foot. "I cannot let you ruin the fun, now can I?"

Belle frantically searched the hidden room just off the main corridor of the forbidden West Wing. It had to be here somewhere. Every day, without fail, Rumplestiltskin visited this very room, and several times, Belle had followed him, her curiosity drawing her. She was never quite able to see where exactly the beast went while within the room as she could enter not without alerting him to her presence; thus, her view had consistently been limited to peeking through the tapestry and straining to see through the darkness of the room as Rumple moved about within. And though she could see little, Belle was an intelligent woman. It was not hard for her to put the pieces together and make an accurate assumption as to what drew the man to this room each day. She knew of only one material possession the Dark One owned that would matter enough, that would frighten him enough, that he would require the reassurance of laying eyes upon it so frequently.

As quietly as possible, she darted around the room, rifling through trunks and chests, display cases and rickety shelves cluttered with tattered and dusty books. Her hope was fading fast, though, as she had searched nearly every space and corner of the room and continually came up empty-handed, but just as she turned to retreat to the front of the room and start her search again, a flicker of light to her right caught her eye. Belle turned toward the source of the faint light and noticed that it was seeping through a very slim crack between a massive bookshelf and the cobwebbed stone wall.

Belle shot toward the bookshelf and pushed at it, but the heavy case refused to budge. She frantically began pulling at the books on the shelves, yanking at each one before letting each fall back into place when its movement evoked no reaction. She then zeroed in on an extremely small, almost unnoticeable book tucked tightly between two massive spell books, and quickly reached for it. She slipped in her pinky finger and pulled the tiny book forward and instantly, the shelf reacted, sliding from its position to reveal an arched opening that led into a faintly lit stone chamber.

The brunette stepped into the cold chamber, lit only by a single, small torch, and followed the short path to its end where it opened into a circular room. She saw only one object in the room—a massive, perfectly preserved painting of a young boy with unruly dark brown hair and wide, innocent eyes. She knew not who the boy was as Rumple rarely divulged personal information, especially that of his past before he became the Dark One, but Belle could make an easy assumption that the boy was quite dear to her beloved, perhaps even family. A son, maybe?

Belle sighed deeply as tears sprung to the stinging lids of her sapphire eyes, her heart clenching in her chest for the man she knew Rumplestiltskin must once have been, the man she had always hoped he could be again; however, given his recent terrible actions despite her own pleading for him to do otherwise, she wondered if it was even possible. She feared he simply could not. He was too far gone, devoured entirely by the magic and power he had gained many centuries ago. She feared she would indeed have to let him go, let go of the pain in her heart that ached for him to latch onto that sliver of good deep within his heart and let it free him. Her tears burned hot trails into her cheeks as she shook her head and reached for the edge of the painting.

She pulled at the edge of painting and it swung forward with ease, and there, chained to the back of the portrait was the very item she had been desperately searching for, its metallic swiveled edges gleaming in the faint light of the single flickering torch.

"Emma!" Snow screamed as Rumple continued to hop about, giggling gleefully at the twisted turn of events. Fury blazed in the White Queen's chest as she slid from behind Regina's still-quaking body and laid the witch gently back onto the stone floor. Regina's eyes flickered dangerously, and her lips moved wordlessly as her chocolate gaze fought to remain open and fixed upon her beloved, now dangling high above her and struggling against Rumplestiltskin's magical restraint.

Snow rose regally to her feet and stood to face the Dark One. Her voice came out in a frighteningly echoing and authoritative command that shocked all in the room. "You will put my daughter down, now!" she growled at the imp.

Rumple had been quite surprised to see the White Queen appear in his dining hall alongside a fully healed and somehow escaped princess, as he had been well aware of their years-long estrangement; however, he had been even more shocked to see the care with which the pure Snow White cradled her long-time nemesis, the wounded Evil Queen. He maintained his composure, though, and refused to let his shock show in his features. Now that he had the upper hand in this battle, he refused to let it go.

"Oh dear," the reptilian man mocked. "Oh dearie, dearie, dear. Poor queenie is upset! Poor queenie wants me to….what was it? Oh yes, you want me to put her down!" As soon as the words left his lips, a wicked grin stretched his mouth, and he lifted a hand and snapped his yellowed fingers. Snow watched in horror as Rumple's magical hold on the princess was instantly relinquished and Emma suddenly dropped, ripping through the air from the high-vaulted ceiling and speeding toward the stone floor several feet below.

Emma clenched her eyes tightly shut to block out the view of the ground swiftly speeding toward her. She called forth her magic as quickly as possible and allowed it to flood through her and just before she hit the ground with a force that would have been sure to kill her, her entire body glowed a brilliant purple and halted in mid-air, hovering just inches above the stone floor. Almost instantly, she twisted upright in the air and allowed her feet to drop easily to the ground before a violent scream ripped from her throat as she thrust forth her hands furiously, rage rippling through her every cell. Twisting, tangling vines burst from her open palms and wrapped forcefully around the beast, his golden eyes widening in shock as the vines restricted his movement, slamming his arms down and into his sides, and tightening to the point of suffocation.

Emma knew the enchantment would not hold the man for long as he could summon any of his own assortments of spells to break through the hold of the vines, but it would certainly buy her the few moments of precious time she required. She wasted no time in studying her achievement and sprinted madly, once more, for her beloved, dropping quickly to her knees again and thrusting a hand out and over Regina's gaping wound. She could hear the Dark One's growls and curses in the background as he struggled within the gripping hold of the vines, and she feared she would not have enough time to fully heal the witch.

Rumplestiltskin struggled only a moment against the vines, livid that he had been caught off-guard by the infuriating princess, before he summoned forth a veil of fire. The flames licked and curled around the vines, burning through the now-withering plants. He hissed as the fire scorched his own flesh, though it was a worthy sacrifice and his burns were already beginning to heal even as they were inflicted. Within seconds, he was free of the magic's hold and he instantly moved to rip the princess from Regina's side as he could not afford to have the fallen queen's wound healed and energy returned. Even as the Dark One, he knew his power would be no match to that of the combined power of united Soul Mates. Just as he raised his hand to toss the blonde, though, a screeching sound of sliding metal echoed to his left and he looked up just in time to see a raging and determined Snow White charging toward him with one of the jagged swords he had earlier sent hurtling toward the Evil Queen.

He jumped quickly back and flicked his wrist, conjuring an ebony sword of his own into his right hand and met the White Queen's blade blow for blow. Snow fought fiercely, jabbing and swiping with the sword as her husband had taught her. The clashing of metal on metal rang loudly through the dining hall and in the raven-haired woman's ears as she kept her emerald eyes fixed fiercely upon the reptilian man easily matching her moves. She knew she would be unable to best him with swordplay, though she hoped to buy her daughter enough time to heal Regina's wound so that the two Soul Mates could finish this mess once and for all.

Emma tried desperately to block out the sounds of the clashing swords, to block out her worry for Snow's wellbeing, and focus solely upon healing her beloved. Regina, look at me, she whispered in the brunette's mind, and heavily drooping chocolate eyes instantly fluttered before locking with emerald. A surge of power, energy, magic, focus, and love shot through Emma's heart and soul and her hand glowed a brilliant purple. She cried her joy as she watched Regina's flesh instantly begin to mend itself.

Within seconds, Regina's flesh was fully mended, the evidence of her nasty wound now entirely absent. Emma placed a hand over the witch's chest and flooded energy through her fingertips. Color returned quickly to Regina's cheeks, though both she and Emma were exhausted beyond measure, both having gone without slumber, both having endured terrible injuries, and both having used much magic. The witch immediately shot from her position and into Emma's arms. They clutched each other tightly for only a moment before jumping to their feet and swirling to face the scene before them.

The White Queen was locked in a vicious duel with the Dark One, swords clanking loudly before Rumple delivered a particularly heavy blow, knocking Snow roughly to the ground, her sword slipping form her grip and skidding across the stone floor. Rumple raised his sword high in the air, poised for the deathblow, and Snow only clenched closed her eyes, bracing herself for the coming pain. Emma and Regina quickly laced their fingers together and called forth the power of their combined magic to stop the man, but just as the magic began to spring forth, a resounding echo crackled through the room.

"RUMPLESTILTSKIN!" The shocked imp quickly whirled on the spot at the sound of the booming voice, as did the others. His sword dropped instantly from his hands and clattered to the ground as his glittering eyes zeroed in on his beloved Belle standing poised in the open entrance of the dining hall, her sapphire orbs blazing with her fury and a very familiar dagger clutched tightly in her hands.

"Belle!" he gasped. "How did you…bring me the dagger, Belle, now!" he shouted furiously at the woman, his rage rising quickly in his chest at not only being bested by the three women he had engaged in battle with but also by the audacity of the woman he loved to aid his enemies, to stand before him now and threaten him with the mere presence of his dagger. "NOW!" he shouted again, but Belle refused to move.

"I was wrong, Rumple," Belle said, tears stinging her ocean eyes before dripping heavily down her cheeks. "You cannot change. Look at yourself. You are mad with power, with your need for vengeance."

"DO NOT SPEAK OF WHAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!" he roared, spit flying from his scaly lips as his entire body shook now with both an overwhelming anger as well as an all-encompassing fear. Regina, Emma, and Snow stood still and silent, waiting on bated breath for Belle's next move as the sheer magnitude of the Dark One's voice and fury sent chills down their spines. Belle, though, was not deterred. She stood her ground, her gaze never leaving the golden haze of Rumple's blazing orbs.

"I cannot let you continue to harm innocent people, Rumple," Belle said, her tears rolling over her clenched jaw, though she maintained her resolve. This was the right thing to do, even if it meant shattering her own heart.

"INNOCENT?! SHE LOCKED YOU AWAY FOR TEN YEARS!" the reptilian man shouted, a scaly finger jabbing the air in Regina's direction. Regina winced and bowed her head at the remark, though she felt Emma's fingers squeeze her hand tighter, the princess's thumb stroking comfortingly over the back of her hand.

"She did, yes, but she never harmed me, never as you have harmed these women this day," Belle argued. "Your need for vengeance must end, Rumple. It is madness."

"I AM THE DARK ONE!" he roared. "I WILL NOT BE COMMANDED." And before anyone realized what was happening, the scaly, golden-skinned man clapped his hands fiercely together, conjuring a massive, scorching ball of raging hellfire and sent it hurtling through the air toward Regina and Emma.

Both Snow and Belle screamed with their panic as they heard the fallen queen and the princess gasp in unison. Regina and Emma turned swiftly into one another and locked in a tight embrace, knowing they had not enough time to conjure an enchantment to stop the speeding ball of fire. It was too close and too fast, and they had been caught horribly off-guard. They were going to die, wrapped lovingly in each other's arms.

To everyone's great surprise, though, a massive wave of energy shot from the center of the women's tight embrace, projecting from their brushing chests just above their rapidly beating hearts, and enveloped the witch and the princess just as the hurtling fireball crashed into them. It exploded forcefully upon impact with the magical shield, the combined power of True Love and Soul Mates obliterating the swirling ball of fiery rage in its entirety.

As the falling embers flickered and faded to ash around them, the shield retreated before dissipating entirely and Regina and Emma turned quickly to face the Dark One, whose glittering eyes which had only just been bulging with his shock and his fury now reflected only fear. The witch and the princess laced their fingers together once more and thrust forward their combined hands, calling forth all the magic and power within them.

Let us finish this, my love, Regina whispered inside Emma's mind, and though it pained Emma to take Belle's love from her, she knew the brunette had tried and failed to get through to the man. He would never stop, and perhaps, in this way, they could free him of his obsession. They could provide him with the peace his soul had long been denied, the peace that Belle had always desired to give him and had never fully been able.

A blinding beam of white light burst from their joined hands and straight into the Dark One's chest. Rumplestiltskin was lifted from the ground as the dining hall began to quake and tremble around them with the echoes of power now rippling through the room. The blinding energy spilled into the man's chest before projecting from his every pore until he was not but a shining ball of light hovering in the open air.

"Belle," he whispered, the single word slipping from his lips as the shocking power of Soul Mates suddenly exploded through his heart and his levitated body disintegrated into ash before falling gently to dust the crumbled stone floor. Rumplestiltskin's soul was finally free, and the Dark One was no more.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter Fifty-One: How We Survive

"Belle," he whispered, the single word slipping from his lips as the shocking power of Soul Mates suddenly exploded through his heart and his levitated body disintegrated into ash before falling gently to dust the crumbled stone floor. Rumplestiltskin's soul was finally free, and the Dark One was no more.

The blinding white light flickered and faded into oblivion as the last of the ash that was the former Dark One drifted gently to the floor. Regina and Emma instantly collapsed, slumping heavily against one another as exhaustion unlike any either had ever experienced overtook them both. Their hands, still laced sweetly together, gripped tightly for support, both of them fighting to stay on their feet. Emma rested her forehead against Regina's as both women panted for air, and Regina lifted her free hand and cupped it to the princess's cheek. They had made it. They were alive. They were together.

Both the witch and the princess nearly tumbled to the ground, though, as the frantic form of the White Queen suddenly crashed heavily into them. Snow grabbed at Emma's shoulders, hands, sides, and cheeks, touching and checking every inch of her to ensure that she was, in fact, quite well, before she surprisingly turned to Regina and did the same with just as much fervor. The raven-haired woman breathed a heavy, steadying sigh of relief before swiping at her streaming tears and pulling both her daughter and her former step-mother into a crushing embrace. She held them both as they slumped against her and she whispered in a cracked and ragged voice, "That was too close."

Surprisingly, it was Regina who patted Snow's back affectionately and answered, "Indeed it was, Snow." Emma merely nodded against the reigning queen's neck and reached to lace her fingers through her beloved's, now resting on Snow's back. A loud clatter suddenly echoed from behind them and all three women jumped in surprise. Snow whirled on the spot, her arms spreading protectively in front of Regina and Emma. She relaxed exponentially, though, as her eyes zeroed in on the source of the sound.

Belle, who had been standing frozen in shock and horror at the scene that had only just played out before them, now snapped into reality. Rumplestiltskin's dagger had dropped from her hands and clattered to the ground, and Belle's knees followed, giving way beneath her. She sank heavily to the floor as an aching sob tore from her throat and tears flooded from her stunning sapphire eyes.

Emma let go of Regina and Snow and forced her body to move. She took slow, unsteady steps as her emerald eyes drooped and her entire body stung and ached with its need for slumber. She made her way slowly and solemnly across the dining hall, and once she reached the sobbing brunette, Emma only sank to the floor as well. She said nothing, because she knew that there were no words that would suffice, that would comfort, or that would make any part of this reality easier to bear. So, instead of speaking, the princess only reached out her shaking hands and pulled the trembling, sobbing Belle into her lap and arms. She closed her eyes and rested her head gently atop Belle's as her own tears fell into chocolate locks and she tenderly rocked the woman back and forth.

Regina's heart exploded in her chest as she took in the pure beauty and wonder that was her precious Soul Mate. She was ever in awe of the princess, of Emma's profound kindness, of her empathy, of her affectionate and loving nature, and of her easy understanding. Tears sprang to the witch's chocolate eyes as she watched her beloved sweetly rock the broken woman that had dared to love the Dark One. It was in that moment that Regina realized that Emma understood Belle better than anyone; that she understood and empathized with Belle's pain beyond what any other person could have been able, because Emma, too, had dared to love a monster. Emma had dared to love her, the Evil Queen, when no one else had been able to see the good in her. Emma had never seen her as the Evil Queen. She had always been only Regina, just as Belle had only ever seen Rumplestiltskin rather than the Dark One.

Both Regina and Snow silently cried as they watched Belle weep heavily in Emma's arms, before the fallen queen slowly began to make her way forward. Snow quickly moved to Regina's side to steady the exhausted woman as they crossed to the other two. Regina carefully lowered herself down in front of the crying brunette and reached forth a hand. She slipped her slender hand into Belle's and rubbed her thumb affectionately over the back of the woman's hand. When Belle's head lifted from Emma's chest and bleary, blue eyes turned to face the fallen queen, Regina smiled sadly at her before speaking the words weighing heavily on her heart.

"Belle," she whispered through her own tears, "I have not said these words many times in my life, but I owe them to you. I am sorry. I am so very sorry for all that I have burdened you with, for my actions all those years ago and for how those actions led to this painful day. There are no words for my regret, but I wish you to know that I am sorry, and I am truly sorry for the loss of your love. Rumplestiltskin was flawed as we all are and as you said, he had been consumed by his power, but I believe there was good deep within him. He taught me much in my life. He gave me confidence and power where I once had only fear and insecurity. And he loved you deeply, dear. This, I know. But the darkness within him was just too powerful. I hope you can understand and one day accept that this had to be done."

Snow's heart clenched in her chest as she listened to Regina's words, heard the sincerity in the woman's voice. It was the Regina she had once known, the woman who had pulled her from that horse, the woman she had hoped would return for so many painful years. Tears slipped sweetly from her emerald eyes as hope and love and joy bloomed in her chest, and though this day, this moment, was rather dark, she could see the light ahead, the light of the future. She only hoped she could be a part of it, a part of Regina's life and Emma's and Red's and Blue's. She hoped she could share in their joy and in their sorrows, and she hoped they would one day desire to share in hers.

Belle sniffled and wiped at her eyes before surprising Regina by pulling her into a tender embrace. "I forgive you," the blue-eyed brunette whispered into the fallen queen's chocolate locks and Regina's heart fluttered wildly. Only Emma had ever given her forgiveness so easily and so beautifully. It was unfamiliar and yet it felt extraordinarily wonderful. She clutched onto the woman and stroked a hand through Belle's hair, whispering, "Thank you."

When Belle pulled from the embrace, she reached for the dagger that still sat upon the stone floor just to the right of where Regina now sat. She picked up the twisted metal and ran her fingers across the flat surface of the blade. Rumplestiltskin's name was gone, faded from the enchanted metal. He truly had been freed and the power of the Dark One was no more. This dagger was but a harmless blade, a reminder of the terror that once had been. Belle held the dagger out and placed it gently in Regina's lap. "Will you destroy this for me?" she asked quietly, her glistening gaze locking with the fallen queen's. "I wish it gone now that he is finally free of it."

Regina nodded in answer. "Yes, Belle, I will do this for you." They shared a long look of understanding before Belle glanced around at the three women and spoke. "I blame none of you for what has happened this day. Rumple was the cause of his own undoing and I am sorry for the pain he caused you all. And though I suffer with the pain of losing my love, I believe death was mercy for Rumple. His heart can finally be at peace."

Emma placed her hand in Belle's and squeezed affectionately. "I suffered many years in my search for Regina, and when I felt most hopeless or when the pain seemed much too powerful to bear, my mother, Red, would always say these words to me. She said that we must hold on to our suffering, that we must use it, and that we must learn from it and allow it to help us to evolve, allow it to drive us onward. This is the way we grow, she told me. This is how we survive."

Tears slipped from Snow's eyes as she listened to Emma's speech. Red truly had been a wonderful mother to the princess, and Snow realized now that perhaps if Emma had stayed with her at the castle, she would not have grown into the powerful, kind, and truly wise young woman she now was. She silently thanked the wolf for the young woman her daughter had become and for seeing all in Emma and all in Regina that Snow herself had long been unable to see.

Regina shared a loving look and a sad smile with Emma upon hearing of the princess's suffering and Red's comfort and advice. It had been a harrowing six years for Emma while Regina had been trapped within the confines of the burning realm of the unconscious. They had needed one another and had been unable to reach each other, and that is an aching memory that both knew would never fade; however, it was as Emma said and as Red had once taught the princess. They held onto the suffering of those six years. They let it drive them onward with a fierce determination to have one another, to protect one another. They let it bring them even closer and love with the fire of a thousand suns. They grew from it. They survived, just as they knew Belle would.

"Thank you all," Belle whispered as silent tears tracked her cheeks. She smiled sadly through the salted drops as she let the kindness of the three women surrounding her seep into her and comfort her aching heart.

"Belle," Regina said, capturing the woman's attention, "I know this is much to absorb in a single day, but we all would understand if you wish to live here no longer. You are welcome to come along with us, to live with Emma and I in our palace if you wish. You will be a part of our family, a part of our home."

Belle was truly surprised by this, and her heart swelled with the invitation. It was a kindness she had not expected, but appreciated nonetheless. "Thank you," she said, "but I fear the painful reminders would be as present in your palace as they are here. I was a captive there many years and had it not been for the enchantment you had cast before being captured yourself, I fear I would have died for lack of sustenance." Regina remembered the enchantment well. She had cast it upon first capturing the brunette. She had placed Belle in a hidden chamber and had had great need to keep the knowledge and location of the chamber from everyone, including her palace servants. She could afford not having Rumple find and rescue the girl; thus, she had cast an enchantment to automatically conjure food and drink for Belle thrice daily. She thanked the gods that she had thought to do this as once Regina was captured herself, Belle surely would have died a painful death in that chamber otherwise just as she said.

"I blame neither of you and your kindness means much to me," Belle continued, "but it was also by your hands that I lost my love while you retained your own. I am glad for your happiness, but I fear I shall be reminded often that you have such happiness in place of my own. I fear it would be rather painful for me to endure, at least for a while. I hope you can understand this."

"Of course," Emma whispered, squeezing the woman's hand again.

"Perhaps," Snow spoke, her voice drawing the other women's surprised attentions as the White Queen had remained silent till now, "you would consider coming to live with me in the White Kingdom, in my palace? I know we are but strangers, but you have aided me greatly this day, as well as my daughter. We owe you much. You are welcome to live in the palace with myself and the King. You may have any chambers you wish and free reign of the castle and the castle grounds. Perhaps a new home would be best, a home with few if any reminders of this day."

Belle's heart fluttered gently in her chest—such love and kindness from mere strangers, and such a generous offer from royalty no less. She could hardly believe the goodness in people at times; this is what she held onto. It is what she had always searched for in companions, in family, in strangers, and in lovers. It was what she had searched for in Rumplestiltskin and at times, had found, while at others, had only hoped for. Her heart was full with it, even as she ached with the pain of her loss.

She took a deep, steadying breath and glanced around the vast space of the dark castle's dining hall. She had lived here with Rumple many years, and it had become her home, but without him, it only felt empty and cold. It felt ugly and broken. She wanted no part of it any longer. Perhaps the White Queen was right—a new home would be best.

Belle nodded to Snow and quietly whispered, "Very well. If your offer is true, I would gratefully accept."

"It is," Snow assured, and the three women smiled at Belle and hoped in their hearts that the woman would find peace soon and one day, perhaps, she would find love again.

Regina pushed up from the cold, stone floor and was relieved to feel Snow's hands clutch quickly onto her sides to help her stand and brace her. She had never felt such exhaustion, such a deep, down-to-the-bone ache. Snow then reached a hand out for Emma and helped the princess rise as well, followed by Belle. Regina held a hand out and placed it on Snow's chest, a questioning look in her eyes. When the White Queen only nodded, Regina willed forth Snow's energy and warmth and let it wash into her, replenishing her strength, though only just.

After only a moment, Regina removed her hand from Snow's chest and shocked all in the room by leaning forward and placing a tender kiss to the reigning queen's forehead. "Thank you," she whispered and a small sob fluttered from Snow's throat as she nodded against the fallen queen's lips. Emma then stepped forward and placed a kiss of her own to Snow's cheek and the three women came together in a loving embrace while Snow cried her joy in the moment, the pain and guilt that had long lived in her heart finally ebbing sweetly away.

Regina then stepped back and asked Belle to take Snow's hand. The brunette stepped forward and laced her fingers through the reigning queen's. Emma quickly embraced Belle and planted a kiss to her cheek as well. "You shall always have our friendship as well as our aid should you ever need it," Emma told the blue-eyed beauty, to which Belle only smiled sweetly and nodded her understanding. And with that, Regina muttered an incantation under her breath before waving a hand over Belle and Snow and watched as the two women disappeared in a swirling cloud of purple smoke, traveling through time and space to the distant White Palace where a broken Belle could begin a new and hopefully beautiful life.

Regina turned to Emma once the two women were alone and nearly knocked the princess from her feet as she slammed into her, crashing her lips onto Emma's as she clung tightly to her beloved. All of her emotions, all that had been rocking and rolling and roaring within her throughout the entirety of this terrifying and torturous day, flooded through her at once and bled into her kiss. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she pulled Emma as close as possible and kissed her as if her very breath lived in the younger woman's lips. Emma kissed her back with the same fervor and the same need. They had never known such terror, the very real fear of losing one another forever. It overwhelmed then and now, and they knew the memory of this day would continue to overwhelm them for years to come.

After several long moments, Emma pulled from the crushing kiss and laced her fingers through Regina's. They glanced around the wrecked remains of the dining hall, images flooding through her minds and tears springing to their eyes before the princess locked gazes with the fallen queen and whispered sweetly to her. "Take me home, love?"

Regina smiled and pressed a chaste, tear-moistened kiss to Emma's lips, summoning the image of home as their lips brushed tenderly together. The familiar and comforting swirl of their magic whirled around them and promised them rest, carrying them away and back to the waiting comfort of their little family.


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter Fifty-Two: The Flutter of Timid Hearts

Dark lashes fluttered over chocolate eyes as Red slowly woke, though she fought to stay sleeping. She snuggled back into her pillow and that was when the scent overwhelmed her. She was not alone. She breathed deeply and inhaled the familiar scent of vanilla and citrus. Blue.

Red's eyes popped open and immediately focused on the wash of chocolate locks fanned out in front of her, the small, warm body pressed firmly into her own, and her arm wrapped tightly around a thin waist. The former fairy was cupped right into Red's body as they both must have fallen asleep at some point. Red could help not the small smile that slowly stretched her lips and before she could stop herself, she nuzzled her nose into the woman's hair and let the scent flood through her and set her body to buzzing. The sensation surprised her. She had spent much time with Blue since the fateful day that the former fairy had crashed, quite literally, into Emma at a small village marketplace in the neighboring kingdom, and she had become quite close with the petite woman over time; she had never, however, stopped to evaluate her relationship with Blue or how she felt about the woman.

They were friends, dear friends, and they spent much of their days and many of their evenings together just conversing or strolling through the castle gardens while Regina and Emma obsessed over one another or locked themselves away in their bedchamber. The two Soul Mates had become so attached that you could hardly ever find one without the other, though Red had been warned by Regina that such a thing might happen as their souls continued to meld and weave together. She was happy for her child, beyond happy, especially after the torture Emma had endured over the years without Regina. It was always as if a void existed inside the blonde that Red had never been able to fill regardless of how she tried, though they still had had many wonderful times. She was thankful for every moment, the good and the bad, and she was thankful now for Regina's return, for finally filling that void within her precious daughter. She wanted them to have their time, so she gave her own to Blue and was pleased to have the woman's company as otherwise, she would have been quite frequently alone.

She enjoyed conversing with the former fairy and found much of what the woman had to say to be rather fascinating. Blue had lived nearly three centuries as Fae and had seen so many things that her stories were practically endless, but what Red loved most were the times when Blue would speak of her struggles as a mortal, of the transition from fairy to human. The wolf was stunned to learn that Fae had no human emotions, only a conscience and the ability to sympathize with their charges. They had neither need of physical interaction nor any desire for it. They did not mate and were not born, but were created from fairy dust. It was all rather astonishing and Red loved the stories about Blue's first few months as a mortal—her first experience with eating, her first experience with bathing, and the like. Nearly every story would have Red bursting with laughter and Blue scolding her playfully for making fun.

Red would share stories of her own in return, stories of her days in the woods with Snow, of her first perfect run having gained control over her wolf, and of her years with Emma. She realized now as she thought on this that her feelings for the former fairy were quite evolved and rather deep, and without thinking, she pulled the woman closer, surprised again as her body buzzed once more. It felt better than Red would have imagined, having the petite brunette tucked snugly into her. In fact, she was reveling in it, having not even realized or noticed the low grumbling purr and whimper vibrating in her chest and throat as she wrapped her body more tightly around Blue's.

Blue was awakened by a warm humming buzz in her body and a rumbling purr vibrating against her back. She slowly drifted into consciousness as she thoughtlessly pressed back into the warmth surrounding her before she realized the source of the warmth and of the growling whimper. She blinked open her eyes and glanced down to see a slender, yet strong arm wrapped tightly around her torso as she was tucked fiercely into the long, heated form of Red. Her breathing instantly hitched in her throat before increasing in pace and a wave of something washed through her body, a feeling she had never experienced in her short years as a mortal being. It tingled deliciously on her flesh before traveling over her limbs, fluttering low in her abdomen, and then shooting straight to the apex of her thighs. She nearly groaned aloud with the feeling as it shocked and thrilled her while terrifying her at the same time.

Red was instantly aware the second Blue woke as she heard the quick change in her breathing followed by the suddenly rapid pulse of her heart. She feared for a moment that Blue was startled to find herself in Red's arms and would want not to be there, but just then a heady scent rolled off of the former fairy in shockwaves and thickened the air around them. Arousal. Red's eyes rolled back in her head and her body, unbidden, lurched forward, pressing roughly against the woman's back as a low growl bubbled up from the wolf's throat, and the scent only magnified.

The former fairy knew not what to make of what was happening. This was certainly a human experience she had yet to deal with, though she soon recognized the feeling for what it was. She was aroused, deeply aroused, and the realization of as much had her head spinning and her heart plummeting into her stomach. She had never even considered these aspects of being mortal, had never been kissed or touched or anything beyond as much. She had never even thought of it as it had never been an issue and she had simply assumed it never would be. Three hundred years as a fairy had made arousal, sex, and physicality of any kind, really, entirely foreign to her. Now that she was experiencing it, though, she was slightly afraid of it. It was overwhelming, too overwhelming, and she needed reassurance. She needed understanding and she knew the wolf would provide her with as much; thus, she timidly whispered through shaky breath, "Red?"

Red's heart clenched tightly in her chest as she heard the insecurity in Blue's voice decorating her own name. She knew the woman was greatly unfamiliar with the vast array of human emotions and experiences and must be frightened by what Red could sense was now happening to her body. She wanted only to comfort the former fairy, wanted her to see that some aspects of being a mortal could be quite lovely and even wonderful. She nuzzled her face into Blue's hair once more and brought her lips close to the woman's ear. "Be not afraid, Blue," she whispered and instantly, the woman's body relaxed though her breathing remained ragged and her pulse rapid. "What you feel is natural," Red continued, "and you are safe with me."

Blue's heart fluttered wildly in her chest with the words. Red was always so kind to her, so loving, and she indeed had always felt safe with the wolf. She quickly turned in Red's embrace so that they now faced each other, Blue's wide brown eyes searching Red's desperately for answers and for further reassurance. "I have never felt anything as this," she whispered timidly to the wolf, her cheeks pinking with her embarrassment.

"You need not be embarrassed," Red told her, reaching up a hand to fun her fingers down the former fairy's reddened cheek as they shared the same air, their faces only separated by few inches. "Tell me what it is you feel."

Blue swallowed the growing lump in her throat and reached for the trust and security she found in Red's kind eyes before answering. "Warm," she said, to which Red only smiled and nodded for her to continue, so she did. "Tingling," she said, "everywhere." Red closed her eyes for a moment and calmed her body's reaction to the words before focusing her gaze back on Blue's and nodding for her to keep going.

"My…my heart is racing," Blue told her.

"As is mine," Red admitted with a small smile.

"And I…" Blue started but the word quickly died in her throat as her cheeks pinked again.

"You can tell me," Red whispered.

"I ache," Blue said so quietly that it made Red grateful for her heightened hearing. "It is not so painful as it is uncomfortable."

Red's heart was pounding viciously in her chest now, her entire body was alight and on fire, a feeling she herself had experienced not in many years. It was thrilling after so long. She licked her lips unconsciously and asked, "Where?"

The former fairy then thoroughly surprised the wolf by reaching for her hand and gently pulling it to her stomach. Red could feel Blue's stomach quivering beneath their shared touch as the woman whispered, "Here," before allowing their hands to travel lower until they were hovering just over the apex of her thighs. "And here," Blue said breathlessly, and Red groaned aloud, her eyes rolling back as Blue then moved their joined hands back up to their shared pillow but did not let go. "Is that natural?" she asked, unsure.

"Yes," the wolf told her, gulping, as they unconsciously shifted even closer to one another, their faces now only a breath apart and their fingers lacing together.

"I am quite overwhelmed, Red," Blue whispered shakily, trusting the wolf with her insecurity. "I have never even been kissed."

Red's heart melted at the shy, timid tone of Blue's voice and the crimson blush decorating the former fairy's cheeks with her admission. She took a steadying breath and hoped the woman would be receptive to what she was about to say. She squeezed Blue's hand affectionately and asked, "Would you like to try it...with me?"

Their gazes locked fiercely, both women searching the other's eyes for reassurance, acceptance, and shared desire. It was there; every bit of it was blazing and burning in both sets of chocolate orbs and that was all they needed. Blue's tongue unconsciously slid across her bottom lip and her breath caught and held in her lungs, waiting, as she nodded against the pillow.

"Close your eyes," Red whispered. The former fairy's lashes fluttered closed with the wolf's command and she felt Red's nose nuzzle and circle her own affectionately. She smiled though her eyes remained closed, her heart jumping in her chest with the feeling, and the buzz in her body only growing. She felt Red's warm breath on her lips then and her entire body felt as if it might explode any moment. She waited anxiously, now deeply craving an experience she had never known and was only a breath away from having.

Just as Red's lips descended to capture Blue's, a swirl of purple smoke billowed through Red's bedchamber before dissipating to reveal Regina and Emma, dark circles under their eyes and their bodies slumping against one another.

Both the witch's and the princess's eyes widened at the sight before them, before Regina burst into a loud round of laughter and playfully scolded, "I told you to rest!" Red completely ignored the comment and shot from the bed with preternatural speed and instantly had both women lifted completely off the ground and wrapped tightly into her, giving no one in the room time to evaluate what had just been happening, not even herself.

Both Regina and Emma grunted with the sheer force of Red's embrace though they did their best to return her affection. After several long moments, though, with no sign of Red putting either of them down, the two exhausted women simply relaxed and dangled there, resting their heads against the wolf's strong shoulders.

When Red finally set them gently atop the ground again, Blue moved in to embrace the women as well. They all stood in silence for a while, simply reveling in the feeling of being together again, of being home, and of being safe, before Red broke the silence and quietly asked, "What happened?"

"More than either of us has the energy to discuss now," Regina told her, her body sagging heavily against Emma's. "We require much rest, but I will share my memories with you when we wake, Red."

Red swallowed her protest as she digested the pitiful sight of her child and the fallen queen. It seemed even standing took much effort for them, thus the wolf simply nodded her understanding and before Regina or Emma even had a chance to realize what was happening, the wolf had them both lifted from the floor once more. Red, much of her own energy returned and only fueled by the lingering buzz in her body from her moment with Blue, raced the two women up the single floor separating their bedchambers in the North Tower and was gently setting them atop their own bed within minutes.

Regina simply chucked and said, "Thank you, dear." Emma, though, reached for the wolf and pulled her down into a deep and loving embrace. Tears leaked from Red's eyes as she buried her face in her child's golden locks and her heart clenched fiercely in her chest. She turned her nose into Emma's neck and nuzzled her affectionately before whispering, "I love you so much, Emma."

Emerald eyes glistened as tears slipped down Emma's cheeks and she turned her face to place a tender kiss to Red's cheek. "And I you, Mother," she whispered in return. "Calm your heart. I am well now."

Red nodded gently into Emma's hair and planted kisses in the golden curls before pulling reluctantly from the embrace and placing another kiss atop the blonde's forehead. "Sleep now, my child," she whispered before turning and walking slowly back to the doors of the bedchamber. Red hesitated at the doors, not wanting to leave the two women she had been worried so deeply over, but as she turned back to the two, she saw that both Emma and Regina had already fallen back into the massive bed. Their fingers were sweetly laced together atop the blankets and both had welcomed a much-needed slumber.

As the wolf gently pulled the doors closed behind her and made her way into the corridor, headed for her own bedchamber once more, her heart swelled with her happiness and nearly threatened the confines of her chest. Emma was well. Regina was well. She, herself, was well, and she could only assume that Snow was well also. All was right, and her family was together once more. Her entire body tingled with the thrill of the feeling, with the relief and the joy bubbling wonderfully inside her. In this moment, she felt free of burden and free of worry, and such a feeling had her sprinting toward her bedchamber, her wolf speed having her standing outside the doors in seconds.

Red pushed open the doors to her chambers and was surprised to find Blue still waiting for her, standing timidly at the foot of the wolf's bed with her hands clasped tightly in front of her as she rocked on the balls of her feet. They locked gazes as Red stepped across the threshold, both of their hearts full with the moment. A brilliant smile stretched across Red's lips and an equally shining one echoed on Blue's own features, and before Red even realized what she was doing, she shot across the space separating her from the former fairy and claimed the woman's mouth with her own.

It was powerful, sweet, tender, aching, and all in-between, and when they finally separated, Red leaned back to capture Blue's gaze and saw only astonishment and desire in the darkened depths. She slipped a hand through the former fairy's hair before caressing her cheek and waited for Blue to say something, anything.

Blue, though, said nothing. She opened her mouth but no words came out. She was speechless and her heart was pounding madly in her chest, her body electric with the feeling. She had no words for it, so instead, she simply reached up a hand to cup the back of Red's neck and pulled her into her still-tingling lips once more.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter Fifty-Three: To Be Together

Regina slowly blinked awake, her bleary chocolate eyes adjusting to the light of morning now seeping into their bedchamber. As her vision focused, a stunning smile stretched her lips, as two wide, beautiful emerald orbs peered at her from only a breath away. Emma. The fallen queen slid a slender hand across the slim space separating two replenished bodies and trailed a tender path up fair flesh. She had woken at some point in the night and found them both still clothed and resting atop the blankets of their massive bed. She had made quick work of their clothing with a flick of her wrist before sliding them both beneath the sheets, pulling her beloved close, and calling for slumber once more.

No words left their lips as Regina's fingers now played gentle melodies atop Emma's skin, swirling and stroking softly from her fingertips to her shoulders, her chest to her neck. They simply stared into one another as the witch carved the princess with precious paths of appreciation and possession, both their hearts beating in perfect rhythm, both wondrously alive, and both magnificently present. They had nearly lost one another, nearly followed the seductive call of death amidst their turmoil and pain. They had danced at the precipice, lonely and wanting, reaching for each other, unable to touch. They had fought for breath, for pulse, for presence. They had come back to each other, as they knew they always would.

Regina's fingertips slipped up and over Emma's dimpled chin, dipping into the small crevice there before tracing her beloved's soft, pink lips. Her touch fluttered sweetly over cheeks and temples, golden lashes and a button nose. She memorized the feeling, the way Emma felt beneath her fingertips, the way Emma felt inside her heart, inside their trembling, tangled souls. She let the feeling seep into her. She let it slip into her lungs and beautifully siphon away her breath. She let it ache in her chest, the most exquisite and delicate pain she had ever known—overwhelming in its magnitude, in its pulchritude. Emma was a treasure in her every cell, growing beautifully within her, devouring her darkness and somehow making her gloriously clean again. With Emma, she was new. She was changed, down to the very marrow in her bones. She was immaculate.

The brunette cherished the churning in her chest, the quiver of her skin, as she opened herself fully to the feeling. Her flesh, her organs, her very spirit were splayed entirely to the princess as only Emma had ever made her feel safe enough to allow, and she shook with the feeling of Emma's love slipping along her exposure, racing through her veins. She let it overpower her, let it consume her entirely and bring her to life in a way she had never known possible. They were one, so intricately and intimately woven together that Regina knew not where their ends did meet or where their bodies broke into two. She felt even the touch of her own fingertips as they trembled atop the princess's flesh, felt the rush of love, of desire, as it spilled through Emma's cells, as it tugged in Emma's heart, and as it pooled between Emma's thighs. She felt every breath even as they caught and held in her beloved's throat. She felt every tremor, every stunning whisper of need, as if they were her own, and truthfully, they were. She was Emma and Emma was she, destined Soul Mates. They were the very definition of love, of power, of purpose. They were the truest example of what it meant to be united, to be together.

Tears slipped sweetly from chocolate eyes as Regina's awe, as her breathtaking love, consumed the air around them and her gentle hand sank tenderly to the back of Emma's neck, her fingertips tangling in golden curls, and pulled the princess's lips to her own. Eyes fluttered closed as their lips brushed, wet with their shared tears, both women overwhelmed with the magic that lived within them and the beauty of reunion. Their lips caressed, melding tenderly together, slipping soundlessly against each other, and silently communicated all that words could never justify or express. It was a kiss ripe with confessions, ripe with possibilities, and ripe with beauty. It was a kiss that spoke volumes even as silence danced inside the room.

When the need for air overwhelmed, they reluctantly parted, and tear-filled chocolate met shimmering emerald once more. Regina felt a burst of joy ripple through their bond, pouring into her from Emma's heart and soul, just as a brilliant smile lit the princess's beautiful features. The fallen queen's breath hitched in her throat as the sight sank wonderfully into her and set fire to her entire being. She would never tire of this; she would never ache for anything other, or for anything more. She had all she needed in this one moment, in that stunning smile, and in the powerful flutter of her heart that effortlessly transformed her rapid pulse into a symphony.

She traced her fingertips over Emma's smile once more and finally allowed her voice to paint the air as she whispered, "What is that beautiful smile for, my love?"

Emma lifted her own hand to wrap around Regina's and pressed the brunette's fingers further to her lips. She kissed each tip before pressing her lips to center of the woman's palm and laced their fingers sweetly together. "We are to be married," Emma whispered, emerald eyes shining as she leaned forward and brought their mouths together once more in a searing kiss, her words a revelation dancing beautifully in Regina's heart.

"Indeed we are, Emma," she breathed against the blonde's lips, both smiling into each other, both rocking beautifully in the melody of their joy.

Nearly two weeks had passed since Regina and Emma's return from the dark castle. The morning after their return, once both were well rested, the two women shared their memories with Red and Blue, and Regina shared her memories with Emma as well, as the princess had been entirely unaware of her mother's near-death and Snow's aid in saving Red's life. After that, Emma clung inseparably to Red for days. She had been unable to shake the feeling, the bone-chilling fear that washed through her upon seeing the images that flashed through Regina's mind, seeing her beloved's blood-stained night gown and streaming tears as she cradled a trembling, naked, and dying Red, screaming for the woman to hold on.

The images had seeped into the princess's dreams and kept her from restful slumber many nights. She had then spent nearly every day for a week glued to her mother's side, not that Red was complaining. The wolf had been a mess of worry over her beloved child; thus, she reveled in every precious minute with the blonde. They spent the week mostly strolling through the gardens together, lying in the tall grasses of the meadows, just talking. They spoke of everything, of Emma's proposal of marriage and Regina's timid yet loving acceptance of it, of Red's budding romance with Blue, and of Snow's redemption. They cried together and laughed together and reassured themselves with affectionate embraces and close proximity. It had been a relief for both, a therapy of sorts.

The following week, Regina and Emma had sat down with both Red and Blue to discuss their plans for the marriage ceremony. After the trauma of nearly losing one another, still fresh and stinging in their memories, both wished to have the ceremony as soon as possible, a desire supported by both the wolf and the former fairy. It would be a small affair, quiet and comfortable, to be held on the castle grounds in Emma's favorite of the many rolling meadows. Neither wanted anything terribly formal or of royal standard. They cared not that Regina was a former queen or that Emma was a princess. They simply were themselves, Emma and Regina, two women devoutly in love, nothing more and nothing less.

After much discussion, the small family had decided that the ceremony would be held in three days' time; thus, Regina and Emma now sat side by side on the small bench in front of their grand dresser in the privacy of their bedchamber, their fingers laced sweetly in their laps as their thighs pressed together with their position. The fallen queen glanced over at the blonde and asked, "Are you certain, Emma?"

"Yes, as long as you truly agree," the princess told her, nodding.

"I am quite fine with it, dear," Regina agreed. "Are you ready, then?" Emma only nodded, so Regina waved a hand in front of the large mirror of their dresser. The pane rippled to reveal the haunting, blue face of the genie.

"Show me Snow White," Regina commanded and both she and Emma waited on bated breath as the glass rippled once more to reveal a cluttered room that both women instantly recognized as one of the storage rooms in the East Wing of the White Castle as well as the very prominent dress-clad behind of the reigning queen as the woman was bent heavily over, digging through a large trunk. "Let us be heard," Regina commanded the mirror again and waited for the glass to glow a bright blue before loudly barking, "SNOW!" with a wicked grin on her face.

The White Queen yelped and tumbled forward into the trunk, her limbs flailing about as both Regina and Emma instantly lifted their hands, cupping their mouths in unison to keep from laughing out as loudly as possible, though the princess's body was vibrating with the effort it took. Once Snow finally clambered her way out of the trunk with not a drop of grace befitting a queen, the raven-haired woman quickly shot to the mirror with wide, emerald eyes and anxiously spoke to the two. "Regina! What is it? Has something happened? What is wrong?" Snow rambled off in a panic.

Regina swallowed her laughter painfully and answered, "Nothing dear, other than the fact that your daughter and I were just treated to the image of your behind thrust so rudely in our faces." As soon as the words left Regina's mouth, Emma could hold it in no longer, and the princess burst into a raucous round of laughter that had the fallen queen smiling widely at her side and Snow only pursing her lips in annoyance.

The reigning queen breathed a sigh of relief at realizing nothing seemed out of sorts before narrowing her eyes at Regina and asking, "Why, then, must you bark my name in such a panic?"

"Because, Snow, it sent you tumbling into a trunk," Regina answered, smirking as Emma continued to shake with her laughter, "and as I am no longer evil, I must find new ways to entertain myself, and apparently Emma as well." Snow sighed dramatically, though she could help not the laughter that now bubbled in her own throat, spurred on by the playful tone of Regina's voice and the continual laughing joy of the princess.

Once their shared laughter died down, Snow smiled sweetly at the two women and asked, "Have you need of me?"

"We have, actually," Emma answered, still chuckling slightly as she spoke. "Regina and I are to be married in three days' time, and we would very much like you to attend." Emma stressed the word so that Snow would clearly be aware that the invitation was not extended to the King. Emma no longer considered James a part of her life and thus did not wish him to attend, a decision very much supported and respected by her beloved.

Snow's eyes instantly glistened with tears and she brought her hands to her mouth, nodding into them as her overwhelming joy in that moment robbed her of voice. Regina smiled at the raven-haired woman before adding, "Actually, Snow, Emma and I were hoping you would officiate the ceremony. You are the reigning queen after all."

Snow glanced back and forth between the witch and the princess, tears openly streaming now from her emerald eyes as a beautiful smile stretched her lips. "Nothing would mean more to me," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Thank you both."

"Of course, Snow," Emma said sweetly. She then looked to Regina questioningly and the witch only nodded, so the princess turned back to the mirror and spoke again to her birthmother. "If it suits you, we would like to invite you to come as soon as possible, as Red has planned a small celebration of sorts the evening prior to the ceremony. Belle is welcome as well, of course, if she wishes to attend."

The White Queen was practically vibrating with her joy and excitement. She was finally earning a place in her daughter's life again and in Regina's as well, and though she ached over her husband's broken relationship with their daughter, she understood Emma's inability to forgive the man just yet if ever. She herself struggled with it at times. She hoped someday, though, that all would be well between them. Snow quickly nodded to the two, clapping her hands excitedly as she simply could not help herself, to which Regina only rolled her eyes while Emma laughed. "Yes, of course!" Snow exclaimed. "Shall I come now? This evening?"

"You may come this evening, dear," Regina answered her. "Simply call for me through the mirror once you have your affairs in order, and I will open a portal for you."

"Very well," the raven-haired woman answered, still smiling brightly at the pair. "I shall call for you soon."

Regina simply nodded and waved her hand, the surface of the mirror rippling in response before she and Emma were met once more with only their own reflections. The witch turned on the bench to face her beloved and their gazes locked tenderly. Regina rubbed her thumb over the back of Emma's hand affectionately before bringing it to her lips and placing a gentle kiss to the princess's palm. "It seems you rather enjoyed that little show," she said, smiling deviously at the blonde.

She reveled in the sound of Emma's beautiful laughter and it filled her with joy to have been able to evoke such a sound from the princess, even if it had been at Snow White's expense, or perhaps especially because it had been at Snow's expense. Regina found herself rather fond of the reigning queen these days, which was a shock all its own, though that certainly did not mean she could not still have her fun with Snow every once in a while.

Emma giggled playfully and leaned forward to place a loving kiss to Regina's lips before whispering, "Oh, Regina, let us not pretend. We both know that no one enjoyed that more than you." The princess then stood from the bench and made her way toward their enormous bed, pulling her top off as she went and smiling seductively over her shoulder at her soon-to-be spouse.

Regina's entire body caught fire at the sight and a wicked smile played across her lips. "Right you are, dear," she agreed, laughing, as she quickly stood to the follow her princess to bed. "Right you are."


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter Fifty-Four: May You Always

"Shall we toast?" Blue asked, her voice slurring slightly. The sensation of intoxication was very new to her, though she was quite enjoying it. The warm buzzing in her stomach and her head kept her lips stretched in a continuous smile as she, Red, Regina, Emma, and Snow sat gathered around a round table in the dining hall. Much wine had been consumed over the course of the evening, and all were feeling its effects; though, truthfully, much wine had been consumed continually over the past two days, thus it was quite possible each of the women had simply maintained a healthy level of intoxication throughout.

It had been a thrilling and rather enjoyable two days since the White Queen's arrival as the women had engaged in much laughter, many games, and much conversation. It truly had been a wonderful extended celebration for the princess and the witch. Regina and Emma had thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were grateful for the love and support shown them by their friends and family. They had hoped Belle would attend as well, but the blue-eyed brunette had kindly declined their invitation, fearing such a celebration would be too soon for her to truly enjoy. She sent her love, though, and both the princess and the fallen queen sent theirs in return.

"We have done nearly ten rounds of toasts already this night, Blue," Red answered, laughing as she patted the former fairy's thigh under the table. She looked to Emma who was seated to her left, eyes bleary with intoxication, followed by Regina and finally Snow. They all simply shrugged or nodded their agreement to another round of toasts, thus Red simply sighed and said, "Very well. Blue, you shall toast first, then."

Blue nearly choked on her wine as she made to speak before swallowing and her cheeks quickly pinked with embarrassment, though the others simply chuckled and encouraged her to make her toast. She raised her goblet and slurred out, "To Emma and Regina, may you have many passionate nights." An echoing laughter rang around the table. It seemed the petite brunette grew bolder with each drink and beautifully came out of her usual shy shell. Regina loudly called, "Here, here!" to which each of the women only laughed more before they all drank in unison.

Snow then raised her glass, her fair cheeks washed red with her intoxication, and took her turn. "To Emma and Regina, may you always find each oth—" Regina quickly lunged to her left and clamped her hand over the White Queen's mouth as they all burst into laughter once more. "Do not dare, Snow!" Regina said playfully. "I refuse to drink to such a toast."

Emma, Red, and Blue each called, "Here, here!" to Regina's statement and drank as Snow grumbled and pursed her lips once released from the fallen queen's hold. Regina then quickly raised her goblet and said, "Here is to the beauty of Telepathy. May none of you ever need endure such nonsense from Emma and I." Snow poked Regina's sides playfully as they all drank again to the toast. Emma's head lolled slightly as her intoxication grew and she flashed a slightly crooked smile at her beloved.

Oh Regina, I will always find you! She whispered inside the witch's mind and even mentally, her words were slurred.

Regina chuckled and answered, You will find yourself being sent home with Snow if you do not behave, love. 

You are beautiful, Emma responded quickly, laughing sweetly as she did so.

And you are rather inebriated, dear, Regina replied, though she could help not the flutter in her chest upon hearing such words. Emma always made her feel so beautiful, so loved. The princess was unbelievably enchanting.

Emma then raised her own goblet and called, "Here is to Regina and this wine she conjured." Red snorted loudly as she choked on her drink and burst into laughter. She leaned over and wrapped an arm around her child's shoulders, pulling Emma in and planting a sloppy kiss in golden locks. Both the princess and the former fairy made quite the entertaining combination as neither had much of a tolerance for the effects of the wine. Red had been reveling in the show, unable to stop laughing nearly the entire two days they had been celebrating. She was so full with her joy that she felt as if she might simply explode with it. Her child was to be married to a woman that Red, herself, truly admired, respected, and loved. Emma was well and happy, and Red could feel only pride and only bliss. It was perfect.

Regina, chuckling, leaned over and placed her hand atop Emma's goblet. "I think you may well have had enough, darling," she said, winking adorably at her beloved. Her hand glowed a bright purple and Emma's wine was instantly turned to water. The princess grumbled her disappointment, though she quickly grabbed the witch's hand and placed a tender kiss to the back of it before sipping her water.

For the final toast, Red lifted her goblet and said, "To Emma, may you never again find yourself in the path of flying, sharp objects." All in the room shouted, "Here, here!" before drinking deeply. Emma nudged her mother playfully with her elbow as Red added, "I fear for any who incite Regina's wrath again."

Emma laughed loudly and turned to Regina, asking, "Were you truly that frightening?"

"I was simply worried for you, my love," the fallen queen answered. "I have not a clue as to what your mother is referring." She smirked at the wolf and brought her wine to her lips once more.

"Oh no?" Red teased in return. "I seem to remember you stomping through your bedchamber shouting, 'I am the gods-damned EVIL QUEEN!'" Both Snow and Emma burst into laughter at that. The White Queen rested her hands on her aching stomach as she laughed and said, "Oh gods, I had forgotten that!" The princess, still bubbling with her laughter, reached for Regina's hand across the table and squeezed it affectionately. "You truly said that?" she asked.

Regina dropped her shaking head into her free hand as her cheeks pinked beautifully. "Yes, well, it seemed rather appropriate at the time, dear. Would you rather I had leapt atop a horse chanting, 'Not to worry! I will find her! I will always find her!'?" Emma giggled gleefully and leaned over the table to lift Regina's head from her hand and place a chaste kiss to the witch's lips. Snow swatted Regina's arm playfully as the witch added, "I would hate to steal dear Snow's thunder."

They all laughed together, reveling in the joy of the evening. None had felt happier in quite a long while. Their shared freedom from worry and pain was a blessed relief and it showed in their smiling faces and their combined laughter. Regina's entire body was warm with her joy. She felt so loved and so welcomed. She had never known such friendship, such family. She cherished it with every ounce of her being.

"I would not be quick to tease, Red," Blue interjected, poking at the wolf to her left. "I seem to recall you pacing your own bedchamber in a panicked frenzy." The former fairy then stood swiftly from her seat, swaying unsteadily on her feet for a moment, before she began to imitate Red the day of Emma's abduction. She paced back and forth, arms flailing about and shouting, "How am I to be calm? Are you calm? I am NOT calm!"

This time, it was Red's turn to be embarrassed, her cheeks blushing in the flickering glow of the dining hall's candlelight. She quickly jumped from her seat and in a flash had the former fairy tucked into her arms and a hand clamped gently over Blue's mouth. She carried the petite brunette back to her seat before settling down beside her once more, her cheeks still crimson.

By this time, Emma was laughing so intensely that tears ran a steady stream down her cheeks as she leaned heavily against Regina. The fallen queen had a lazy arm wrapped around the princess's torso as she chuckled with the blonde. Red reached over and dunked her fingertips in Emma's goblet of water and flicked it at the princess and the witch, which only made them laugh harder. "Very well," the wolf said. "Apparently, Blue was the only one of us able to remain calm that day."

Snow quickly raised a hand to object. "What about me?" she asked, pouting. "I was quite composed."

Regina only snorted and shot a smirk at the raven-haired woman, saying, "Oh yes, Snow. You were the picture of calm when you sank an arrow through a man's throat for naught more than an offensive remark."

Snow smiled sheepishly and chuckled, saying, "Well, I very calmly shot that arrow, and he quite deserved it."

"Indeed," the fallen queen agreed, laughing with her.

"So, it would be accurate to say you all love me rather dearly," Emma chimed, her speech slurred and her eyes drooping as her head lolled back against Regina's chest, though she managed a teasing smiling. The four other women all raised their glasses and said, "Here, here!" before taking a drink.

Regina smiled brightly as she dropped a tender kiss to the top of Emma's head before saying, "I believe it is time we take you to bed, dear." Emma groaned but nodded, pushing unsteadily to her feet and rounding the table. She sank heavily into her mother's lap and wrapped her arms tightly around Red's shoulders. She kissed the wolf's cheek and bid her goodnight, before continuing her rounds with the other two women. She kissed the top of Blue's forehead and planted another on Snow's cheek before slumping into Regina's arms. The witch only laughed and bid the other women goodnight before whisking herself and her princess away to their bedchamber in a swirl of purple smoke.

Regina flicked her wrist to rid herself and Emma of their clothes before they climbed to the head of their bed and crawled beneath the sheets. The fallen queen pulled the princess close to her, tucking Emma's back snugly into the curve of the front of her body and wrapped her right arm tightly around the blonde's waist. She swept Emma's golden locks to the side and planted several small kisses to her shoulder and neck, letting the scent of her beloved wash through her beautifully.

Emma snuggled into Regina's arms as the witch pressed a final kiss to the back of her neck and whispered, "Rest now, my love, and tomorrow, we shall be married." Even in the dark shadows of their bedchamber, Emma's smile shone as brightly as a gloriously full moon. Her heart fluttered wildly upon hearing the words and she hummed her delight, her joy filling her up and rocking her into slumber with her Soul Mate quickly following.


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter Fifty-Five: I Will Carry You

Regina stood silently before the large floor-to-ceiling mirror in her bedchamber. Her breath was caught in her throat as she stared at her reflection, her nerves twittering, her heart fluttering, and her thoughts colliding sweetly with her emotions. Inside, beneath the flesh, she was a beautiful storm, while on the outside she was a stunning statue of regal composure. Her hair was pulled up into an elegant twist with few tendrils hanging about her face and a single small bloom pulled from a white orchid rested just above her right ear, tucked into her soft, chocolate strands. Her face was painted only lightly and natural, and her gown was a soft white, cascading around her poised figure. It fell in gentle waves around her feet, simple yet beautiful, cinching in at the waist and stopping just above her cleavage to leave her shoulders and arms bare.

The fallen queen took in her appearance and all that it represented—new beginnings, new commitment…marriage. The word rolled around inside her mind, a word she had always loathed, as the only marriage she had ever known had been to a lustful old man who had chosen her for her youth, her innocence, and his daughter's infatuation with her. That marriage had drained the life from her; it had seeped into her cracked and crumbled heart, into her very soul, and cruelly siphoned away what remaining purity and joy she may have had left. The memories still haunted her at times, the pain and the sorrow and the aching, bitter loneliness. It was a life she had never wished for and one that had only driven her further into the madness of her pain, twisting and coiling and manipulating until she saw only red, until she wanted only revenge and only escape. She had been tainted by her marriage, and she had truly believed she would never again submit herself to such a binding commitment.

But then, there was Emma. The golden-haired princess who had come into her life as only a child, whose tenderness and kindness had drifted into her like a warming breeze, a ballad of love and acceptance, a promise of resurrection and redemption. Emma was like an awakening, a sudden rush of oxygen through dead, deflated lungs. She was as a burning star in the tenebrous night sky, bright and promising; a falling streak of precious light—a fulfilled wish. She was a vibrant pulse singing beneath Regina's fingertips, spilling into the chambers of the fallen queen's own heart and breathing life over dying embers. She was the art of erasure, painting the shadows of Regina's past clear. She was a promise. She was the beginning.

The doors of Regina's bedchamber clicked quietly open, and only seconds later, Snow White timidly appeared in the reflective glass, just behind the fallen queen. They locked gazes through the reflection, both silently remembering Regina's first wedding and how Snow, a child then, had slipped in that day as well, a brilliant smile painting her features as she took in the sight of Regina in her wedding gown. This day, though, Regina's heart was full as well, because this day, she was finally to marry for love.

The fallen queen turned from the mirror but kept her silence. Snow took timid steps forward until they were but mere inches apart and reached for Regina's hands. She gave them willingly and they stood this way many long moments, hand-in-hand and surrounded by a delicate tension in the air. A single tear slipped from an emerald orb as the White Queen and the fallen queen gazed into one another, neither knowing what to say as it seemed their long and complex history danced in the very air around them.

Finally, Regina broke the silence, though her voice was naught more than a fragile whisper. "Thank you, Snow."

"What do you have to thank me for?" Snow whispered, breathing shakily through her tears.

"For Emma," Regina told her, her lips stretching with a beautiful smile as her eyes glistened in the sunlight streaming through the windows.

Snow returned her smile, squeezing Regina's hands affectionately. "Perhaps," she said, "it was always meant to be this way. You lost your first love because of me, Regina, and the guilt of Daniel's death has stayed with me all these years. It seems only fitting that the debt I owe you be paid not with bloodshed but with new love; that your True Love be born through me. Perhaps, now, we can truly start anew, truly be the family I once wished us to be."

Regina's eyes stung fiercely with the effort to keep her tears at bay as Snow's words flooded into her and filled her with hope, a hope that promised her freedom from the weight of hatred and the weight of pain. She pulled the White Queen into a gentle embrace, her nose nestling in cascading raven locks, and whispered, "I would like that, Snow."

They simply stood that way, holding one another for several long moments, before Snow finally pulled from the embrace and smiled brightly at the fallen queen. "Now," she said, "we have a wedding to attend."

Regina let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Indeed we do," she said as she fell into step behind the White Queen, leaving her bedchamber to make her way to the meadow; to Emma.

Tears streamed openly from Red's eyes as she took in the stunning sight of her child. Emma stood in the center of Red's bedchamber waiting for her mother to say something, anything. Her gown sat beautifully atop her fair flesh, a simple dress as she had wanted nothing over the top. The two thin straps reached from her chest and over her shoulders and connected in a braided cord between her shoulder blades. The material was a pearly white and rather light in its weight. The fountain skirt of the gown contrasted nicely to her thin waist and was full yet not billowing as it fell simply to her feet. Her long, golden locks cascaded around her shoulders in perfect princess curls with tiny white flowers woven into several of the strands. She was a radiant bride.

"Oh Emma," Red whispered through her tears. "You are beautiful, my child." Emma's heart sang in her chest. Her happiness was beyond words, beyond expression. Her entire being was swollen with the feeling, aching deliciously with the tender yet powerful vibrations of her joy. This day, she would be bound eternally to her Soul Mate in marriage and she was simply overflowing with her bliss. Regina was a revelation in her heart, a melody in her very cells, and she wanted only to dance in the rhythm, drown in it, forever.

"Thank you, Mother," she said quietly, though her smile was so bright and so brilliant that it could have rivaled the sun. Red stepped closer to the princess and that was when Emma noticed the small wooden box in the wolf's hands.

"I have something for you," Red told her, swiping away her tears as she made to open the small box. The wolf reached into the box and pulled a necklace from within, a slim white-gold chain with a single, small ruby dangling from it.

"Many years ago, I met my mother," Red told her, "and soon after, I was forced to slay her in order to protect your mother, Snow. Snow was my family and I would have given my life to protect her as she was the first to ever accept and protect me despite knowing what I was and the terrible things I had done. Shortly after the day we buried my mother, Snow gave me this necklace. To this day, I am unsure of how or where she obtained it. She must have traded much for it. She clasped it around my neck and told me that it represented us, the white chain for Snow and the ruby for Red. She told me that it represented unconditional love and friendship, that it represented family. She and I…we were family, and she will always be my family, Emma, as will you. You are my godchild and my child. You are my friend and my confidant. You are my comfort, my heart. You are the truest family I have ever known, and my love for you is unconditional. This necklace has meant more to me than words can say and has brought me much joy in my life, and if it pleases you, Emma, I wish you to wear it this day, the most joyful day of your life."

Emma's tears fell fast and steady down her fair cheeks as she choked back a sob and nodded her head, reaching up with gentle hands to lift her golden locks and allow her mother to clasp the necklace around her neck. Once the chain was neatly in place with the small ruby nestled softly against the princess's chest, Red cupped her hands around Emma's cheeks and leaned forward to press a tender kiss to the blonde's forehead. "I love you, my child," she whispered before pulling her pup into an affectionate embrace.

Emma squeezed the wolf as tightly as possible, hoping to convey all that whirled and wrestled within her. She would not be here were it not for Red. The woman had been her strength and her comfort, her solace and her only joy for many years. Emma's heart was full for her—the wolf who had taken her in, the woman who had changed her life for the better. "I love you, Mother," she whispered in return and pressed her lips to Red's cheek.

They clung tightly to one another, reveling in the warmth shared between them, before Red pulled gently from their embrace and smiled at the princess, holding out a hand for her. "Come now," she said, "let us not keep Regina waiting."

Emma laughed with her joy and placed her hand in her mother's, Red pulling her from the room and leading her to her love.

The sun shone brightly atop the rolling green of the meadow as Emma and Red strolled through the swaying grasses, the princess's dazzling emerald eyes focused on the chocolate locks and stunning white gown of a woman in the distance. Regina stood in the meadow before a beaming Snow White while Blue stood to Regina's right, all of them waiting for the princess to arrive.

Regina, sensing Emma's sudden presence, turned her head and her breath instantly hitched in her throat, her cells blazing into glorious life as she took in the halo of golden curls glowing beneath the sunlight and the sparkling eyes that danced as they watched her from a distance, moving ever nearer. She could help not the smile that painted her supple lips as she absorbed the image and committed it to eternal memory, Emma's flowing white gown blowing slightly in the breeze as the blonde smiled shyly at her. She had never seen anything as beautiful, had never felt anything as right.

Emma clutched Red's hand fiercely, needing the support to steady her steps as the sight of her beloved sank into her and melted her from the inside out, her knees trembling and threatening to buckle beneath her. Regina was a portrait of perfection, a glowing goddess in a sunlit field of green, and Emma was ever in awe of her beauty. Tears tangled in her lashes as her heart beat out the rhythm of her wonder and of her joy. Nothing had ever touched her so, had ever moved her so profoundly, as this moment, as this image, as this day.

And finally, they met, Emma now standing before Snow in the space directly across from Regina and with Red just to her left. Her gaze latched onto Regina's, both glistening with their tears as they simultaneously reached forth their hands and laced their fingers together, their bodies always seeking one another in the spaces that lingered between them. Electricity sparked as their fingertips gently collided, whispering atop each other. The magic that was their undying love colored the air in dancing wisps of purple between their grazing palms. It was a truly beautiful sight.

Snow took in the two brides, tears already streaming down her cheeks, before she drew in a steadying breath and prepared to speak. Both Emma and Regina had requested nothing formal, had asked that the White Queen speak only from her heart, and so that was exactly what Snow intended to do. She cleared her throat gently before quickly wiping away her tears as she began to speak.

"When I was a child, I met a beautiful young woman," she began, her voice cracking a bit as the memories rushed back to her. "and she taught me of love. The words she spoke to me, even then, forever altered my life. They shaped my hopes, and they decorated my dreams. She told me that love, True Love, is magic, and she was right, as that same woman stands before me now with that very magic dancing beautifully on her fingertips."

Regina's teary eyes glanced to Snow upon hearing those words and the two women shared a tender look of understanding and of respect, before the fallen queen turned back from the emerald eyes of her past and gazed again into those of her future. Emma smiled sweetly at her as Snow continued. "True Love is a precious rarity, a binding connection between open and willing hearts. It is a wonder to be adored, a miracle to be cherished. Today, you both will make this pledge, to be bound together in marriage sanctioned by the magic of True Love and the rare power of destined Soul Mates. Today, you share your hearts with us and with each other through spoken vows of promise and commitment." Snow, voice cracking again with her tears, then turned to the princess and said, "Emma, you may now speak your vows."

Emma pulled her right hand free and held it, palm up, in the small space between her and Regina. A swirl of purple appeared before dissipating to reveal a shining white-gold band. She smiled through flowing tears as she then slipped the band onto Regina's finger before clutching onto the witch's hand once more. "Regina," she began, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest and her voice trembling, "this life can be cruel. It has shown you much sorrow and much pain, and while I cannot vow to shield you from the trials this life may bring, I can vow that you shall never again weather those trials alone. You shall never bear another burden on your own. I will share your obstacles. I will share your pain, and if you grow weary, I will carry you. I will protect you. I will share with you all that I am, my laughter as well as my tears. I will build a life with you, a beautiful life, and I will adore you. I will cherish you, and above all, I will love you. I will love you without condition and without fail. Regina, this ring is a symbol of eternity, as our souls were born of a magic that exists beyond time and space, beyond reason or measure, and that is what I vow to you this day. I vow to love you beyond time, beyond space, beyond reason, and beyond measure. I am eternally yours."

There was not a single dry eye around as each woman wept upon hearing Emma's words, the sincerity and the promise embedded so beautifully within them. Regina's body shuddered as she cried with her joy and with the promises her beloved had only just made. Emma had given her more than she ever dreamed possible and it shocked her through and through to realize that this was only the beginning.

Both Snow and Red sniffled repeatedly and the White Queen had to clear her throat several times before she was able to voice her next words. She turned to the fallen queen and said, "Regina, you may now speak your vows."

Regina lifted her hand as Emma had done and her fingers trembled as purple smoke dissipated to reveal a matching ring to her own. She slid the band onto the princess's finger and took a shaky breath before gazing into those eyes again and speaking her vows. "Emma, your love is a wonder in my heart. It is a melody in my soul, and I am filled with its rhythm. Your love spilled into me, a light in my darkness, and woke me from slumber. You breathed new life into me after decades of only sorrow and only pain, and you changed me. You saved me. You taught me to love again, to love you. I cannot vow that I will never falter, that I will never fail, or that I will not, at times, slip once more into the shadows of my past, but I can vow that I will always come back to you. I will be strong for you. I will protect you. I will heal you as you have healed me. I will share with you, all that I am, my joys and my sorrows, my pleasure and my pain. I will provide for you. I will love you, Emma. I will treasure you with every breath, with every beat of my heart, and when this life comes to an end, I will follow you into whatever awaits, and there, I will love you still. I am forever yours."

Red and Blue were both now openly sobbing, hands held to their mouths to quiet their joyful cries as Regina and Emma gazed into one another, both visibly trembling. Snow wiped furiously at her streaming tears in an attempt to keep her composure as she bent to the ground and pulled a short, white, braided rope from a small satchel resting atop the grass. She then reached forward and loosely wrapped the cord around Emma's and Regina's joined hands as the two smiled at her and at one another. Snow then placed her own hand atop theirs and spoke raggedly again.

"This braided cord represents the intertwining of souls bound by True Love. It represents the commitment you are making this day, the commitment to be bound in marriage. Regina, if you will repeat after me please," Snow said, smiling at the fallen queen. "Emma, I bind myself to you in marriage, that we may be as one now and always."

"Emma," Regina repeated shakily, "I bind myself to you in marriage, that we may be as one now and always."

"Now, Emma," Snow said, nodding to the princess, "repeat after me. Regina, I bind myself to you in marriage, that we may be as one now and always."

"Regina," Emma mimicked, her voice a ragged whisper as she swallowed the sob itching in her throat, "I bind myself to you in marriage, that we may be as one now and always."

Each of the women in the meadow smiled brightly as Snow released their hands and stepped back an inch, saying, "Emma, Regina, I love you both dearly, and I am overcome with joy as I am able to share this day with you. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this precious celebration, and it is with great pleasure that I royally sanction this ceremony and this commitment. By the power vested in me as reigning queen of this kingdom, I now pronounce you officially married. You may kiss."

Emma simply could not help herself. Laughter bubbled up beautifully from her throat to dance with her tears as she stroked gentle fingers over Regina's tear-tracked cheeks. Their eyes shone and sparkled beneath the glorious sun as they gazed into one another only a moment before their lips met softly, devouring the space between them. They held each other, lips pressed sweetly together as their family clapped and cried joyfully around them. Magic sparkled on their fingertips, danced along their brushing lips as they stood beneath sun amidst rolling waves of brilliant green. The wind blew gently through them as confessions sang along their soulful bond—words of love, of hope, of promise. Their love was a quiet, yet powerful symphony, precious and rare, as it whispered its melody in the beat of their hearts, a melody that beautifully touched those around them before growing to encompass the meadow and envelop the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YALL BETTER BE GRATEFUL AF CUZ THIS TOOK ME LIKE 30 FUCKIN MINUTES


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